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OUR FIRST GORILLA 


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THE GORILLA HUNTERS. 


a €fllt nf tjit IBilis nf Sfrira. 


s /y KT ; 

r: m; ballantyne, 

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AUTHOR OF u HUDSON’S BAY J OR, EVERY-DAY LIFE IN THE WILDS OF NORTH 
AMERICA;” — u THE YOUNG FUR-TRADERS J ” — u UNGAYA ! A TALE OF 
ESQUIMAUX LAND ; ” — u THE CORAL ISLAND ; ” — 

“ MARTIN RATTLER,” ETC. 


a 





* ^ > 




BOSTON: 

CROSBY AND AINSWORTH, 

117 WASHINGTON STREET. 

NEW YORK : 0. S. FELT, 36 WALKER STREET. 

18 6 5. 



CAMBRIDGE : 


Allen and Farnham, Stereotypers and Printers. 

A* 

\Ja * 2 7 'U 



v 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. In which the hunters are introduced, ..... 5 

II. Life in the wild woods, .... ... 25 

III. Wherein I mount guard, and how I did it, etc. ... 38 

IV. Wherein will be found much that is philosophical, . . 59 

Y. Preparations for a grand hunt, 76 

VI. Dreaming, and feeding, and bloody work enlarged on, . . 105 

VII. We circumvent the natives, 124 

VIII. Peterkin distinguishes himself, and Okandaga is disposed of, 146 


IX. -I discover a curious insect, and Peterkin takes a strange flight, 173 

X. Water appreciated — destructive flies, etc 191 

XI. How we met with our first Gorilla, and how we served him, . 202 

XII. Peterkin's school-day reminiscences, 215 

XIII. We get into “ the thick of it ” — Great success, . . . 229 

XIV. Our plans are suddenly altered — Wicked designs discovered, 244 

XV. An unexpected meeting — We fly, and I make a narrow escape, 257 

XVI. An unfortunate delay, and a terrible visitor, . . . 274 

XVII. We visit a natural menagerie, and meet with strange adventures, 286 
XVIII. Strange discoveries — Jack made commander-in-chief, . . 304 

XIX. Preparations for war, and peculiar drill, 323 

XX. A warlike expedition and a victory, 341 

XXI. Arrangements for pursuing the enemy, and sudden change of 

plans, 353 

XXII. We meet with a ludicrously awful adventure, .... 365 
XXIII. We see strange things, and give our negro friends the slip, . 377 

XXIV. A long chase, and a happy termination thereof, . . . 390 

XXV. I have a desperate encounter and a narrow escape, . . 398 



THE GORILLA HUNTERS. 


CHAPTER I. 

IN WHICH THE HUNTERS ARE INTRODUCED. 

It was five o’clock in the afternoon. There* 
can be no doubt whatever as to that. Old Agnes 
may say what she pleases, — she has a habit of 
doing so ; but I know for certain (because I 
looked at my watch not ten minutes before it 
happened) that it was exactly five o’clock in the 
afternoon, when I received a most singular and 
every way remarkable visit — a visit which has 
left an indelible impression on my memory, as 
well it might, for, independent of its singularity 
and unexpectedness, one of its results was the 
series of strange adventures which are faithfully 
detailed in this volume. 

It happened thus : 

I was seated in an arm-chair in my private 
study in a small town on the west coast of Eng- 
land. It was a splendid afternoon, and it was 
1* (5) 


6 


A STRANGE VISITOR. 


exactly five o’clock. Mark that. Not that there 
is any thing singular about the mere fact — 
neither is it in any way mixed up with the thread 
of this tale ; but old Agnes is very obstinate — 
singularly positive — and I have a special desire 
that she should see it in print, that I have not 
given in on that point. Yes, it was five precisely, 
and a beautiful evening. I was ruminating, as 
I frequently do, on the pleasant memories of by- 
gone days, especially the happy days that I spent 
long ago among the coral islands of the Pacific, 
when a tap at the door aroused me. 

“ Come in.” 

“ A veesiter, sir,” said old Agnes (my land- 
lady), “ an’ he’ll no gie his name.” 

Old Agnes, I may remark, is a Scotchwoman. 

u Show him in,” said I. 

“ Maybe he’s a pick-pocket,” suggested Agnes. 

“ I’ll take my chance of that.” 

“ Ay ! that’s like ’ee. Cares for naethin’. 
Losh, man, what if he cuts yer throat ? ” 

“ I’ll take my chance of that too, only do show 
him in, my good woman,” said I, with a gesture 
of impatience that caused the excellent (though 
obstinate) old creature to depart, grumbling. 

In another moment a quick step was heard on 
the stair, and a stranger burst into the room, shut 
the door in my landlady’s face as she followed 
him, and locked it. 

I was naturally surprised, though not alarmed, 


A STRANGE VISITOR. 


7 


by the abrupt and eccentric conduct of my visitor, 
who did not condescend to take off his hat, but 
stood with his arms folded on his breast, gazing 
at me and breathing hard. 

“ You are agitated, sir, pray be seated,” said 
I, pointing to a chair. 

The stranger, who was a little man, and evi- 
dently a gentleman, made no reply, but, seizing 
a chair, placed it exactly before me, sat down on 
it as he would have seated himself on a horse, 
rested his arms on the back, and stared me in 
the face. 

“ You are disposed to be -facetious,” said I, 
smiling (for I never take offence without exces- 
sively good reason). 

“ Not at all, by no means,” said he, taking off 
his hat and throwing it recklessly on the floor. 
“ You are Mr. Rover, I presume ? ” 

“ The same, sir, at your service.” 

“ Are you ? oh, that’s yet to be seen ! Pray, 
is your Christian name Ralph ? ” 

“ It is,” said I, in some surprise at the coolness 
of my visitor. 

“ Ah ! just so. Christian name Ralph — t’other 
name Rover — Ralph Rover. Very good. Age 
twenty-two yesterday ? ” 

“ My birthday was yesterday, and my age is 
twenty-two. You appear to know more of my 
private history than I have the pleasure of know- 
ing of yours. Pray, sir, may I — but, bless me ! 
are you unwell ? ” 


8 


A STRANGE VISITOR. 


I asked this in some alarm because the little 
man was rolling about in his seat, holding his 
sides, and growing very red in the face. 

u Oh no ! not at all, perfectly well ; never was 
better in my life,” he said, becoming all at once 
preternaturally gpave. “ You were once in the 
Pacific — lived on a coral island — ” 

“ I did.” 

“ Oh, don’t trouble yourself to answer. Just 
shut up for a minute or two. You were rather 
a soft green youth then, and you don’t seem to 
be much harder or less verdant now.” 
u Sir ! ” I exclaimed, getting angry. 

“ Just so,” continued he, “ and you knew a 
young rascal there — ” 

“ I know a rascal here,” I exclaimed, starting 
up, “ whom I’ll kick — ” 

“ What ! ” cried the little stranger, also start- 
ing up and capsizing the chair ; “ Ralph Rover, 
has time and sunburning and war so . changed 
my visage that you cannot recognize Peterkin ? ” 
I almost gasped for breath. 

“ Peterkin ! Peterkin Gay ! ” I exclaimed. 

I am not prone to indulge in effeminate demon- 
stration, but I am not ashamed to confess that, 
when I gazed on the weather-beaten, though 
ruddy countenance of my old companion, and 
observed the eager glance of his bright blue eyes, 
I was quite overcome, and rushed violently into 
his arms. I may also add that, until that day, I 


A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY. 


9 


had had no idea of Peterkin’s physical strength, 
for during the next five minutes he twisted me 
about and spun me round and round my own 
room until my brain began to reel, and I was 
fain to cry him mercy. 

“ So, you’re all right ; the same jolly, young, 
old wiseacre in whiskers and long coat,” cried 
Peterkin, “come now, Ralph, sit down if you 
can. I mean to stay with you all evening, and 
all night, and all to-morrow, and all next day, so 
we’ll have lots of time to fight our battles o’er 
again. Meanwhile compose yourself, and I’ll 
tell you what I’ve come about. Of course, my 
first and chief reason was to see your face, old 
boy ; but I have another reason too — a very pe- 
culiar reason. I’ve a proposal to make and a 
plan to unfold, both of ’em stunners, they’ll shut 
you up and screw you down, and altogether 
flaberghast you when you hear ’em, so sit down 
and keep quiet — do.” 

I sat down accordingly and tried to compose 
myself, but to say truth I was so much oveijoyed 
and excited by the sight of my old friend and 
companion that I had some difficulty at first in 
fixing my attention on what he said, the more 
especially that he spoke with extreme volubility, 
and interrupted his discourse very frequently in 
order to ask questions, or to explain. 

“ Now, old fellow,” he began, “ here goes, and 
mind you don’t interrupt me. Well, I mean to 


10 


AN OLD COMRADE. 


go, and I mean you to go with me, to — but, I 
forgot, perhaps you won’t be able to go — what 
are you ? ” 

“ What am I ? ” 

“ Ay, your profession — your calling — law- 
yer, — M. D. — scrivener — which ? ” 

“ I am a naturalist.” 

“ A what ? ” 
w A naturalist.” 

“ Ralph,” said Peterkin, slowly, “ have you 
been long troubled with that complaint?” 

M Yes,” I replied laughing, “ I have suffered 
from it from my earliest infancy, more or less.” 

“ I thought so,” rejoined my companion, shak- 
ing his head gravely. “ I fancied that I observed 
the development of that disease when we lived 
together on the coral island. It don’t bring you 
in many thousands a year, does it ? ” 

u No,” said I, “ it does not. I am only an 
amateur, having a sufficiency of this world’s 
goods to live on, without working for my bread. 
But, although my dead father at his death left 
me a small fortune, which yields me three hun- 
dred a year, I do not feel entitled to lead the life 
of an idler in this busy world, where so many are 
obliged to toil night and day for the bare neces- 
saries of life. I have therefore taken to my 
favorite studies as a sort of business, and flatter 
myself th^t I have made one or two not unim- 
portant discoveries and added a few mites to the 


EXPLANATIONS. 


11 


sum of human knowledge. A good deal of my 
time is spent in scientific roving expeditions 
throughout the country, and in contributing 
papers to several magazines.’ , 

While I was thus speaking I observed that 
Peterkin’s face was undergoing the most remark- 
able series of changes of expression, which, as I 
concluded, merged into a smile of beaming de- 
light as he said, — 

“ Ralph, you’re a trump ! ” 
u Possibly,” said I, “ you are right ; but, setting 
that question aside for the present, let me remind 
you that you have not yet told me where you 
mean to go to.” 

“ I mean,” said Peterkin, slowly, placing both 
hands on his knees and looking me steadily in 
the face, “ I mean to go a-hunting in — but I for- 
got. You don’t know that I’m a hunter, a 
somewhat famous hunter ? ” 

“Of course I don’t. You are so full of your 
plans and proposals that you have not yet told 
me where you have been, or what doing these 
six years. And you’ve never written to me once 
all that time, shabby fellow. I thought you were 
dead.” 

“ Did you go into mourning for me, Ralph ? ” 
“ No, of course not.” 

u A pretty fellow you are to find fault. You 
thought that I, your oldest and best friend, was 
dead, and you did not go into mourning. How 


12 


MORE REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES. 


could I write to you when you parted from me 
without giving me your address ? It was a mere 
chance my finding you out even now. I was 
taking a quiet cup of coffee in the commercial 
room of a hotel not far distant when I overheard 
a stranger speaking of his friend 6 Ralph Rover, 
the philosopher/ so I plunged at him promiscu- 
ously, and made him give me your address. But 
I’ve corresponded with Jack ever since we parted 
on the pier at Dover.” 

“ What, Jack! Jack Martin ? ” I exclaimed as a 
warm gush of feeling filled my heart at the sound 
of his well-remembered name. “ Is Jack alive ? ” 

“ Alive ! I should think so. If possible he’s 
more alive than ever, for I should suppose he 
must be full grown now, which he was not when 
we last met. He and I have corresponded regu- 
larly. He lives in the north of England, and by 
good luck happens to be just within thirty miles 
of this town. You don’t mean to say, Ralph, 
that you have never met ! ” 

u Never. The very same mistake that hap- 
pened with you, occurred between him and me. 
We parted vowing to correspond as long as we 
should live, and three hours after I remembered 
that we had neglected to exchange our addresses, 
so that we could not correspond. I have often, 
often made inquiries both for you and him, 
but have always failed. I never heard of Jack 
from the time we parted at Dover till to-day.” 


MORE REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES. 


13 


“ Then, no doubt, you thought us both dead, 
and yet you did not go into mourning for either 
of us! O Ralph, Ralph, I had entertained too 
good an opinion of you.” 

“ But tell me about Jack,’’ said I, impatient to 
hear more concerning my dear old comrade. 

“ Not just now, my boy, more of him in a few 
minutes. First let us return to the point. What 
was it } oh ! a — about my being a celebrated 
hunter. A very Nimrod — at least a miniature 
copy. Well, Ralph, since we last met I have 
been all o^ver the world, right round and round it. 
I’m a lieutenant in the navy now — at least I 
was a week ago. I’ve been fighting with the 
Caffirs, and the Chinamen, and been punishing 
the rascally sepoys in India, and been hunting 
elephants in Ceylon and tiger shooting in the 
jungles, and harpooning whales in the polar seas, 
and shooting lions at the Cape ; oh, you’ve no 
notion where all I’ve been. It’s a perfect mar- 
vel I’ve turned up here alive. But there’s one 
beast I’ve not yet seen, and I’m resolved to see 
him and shoot him too — ” 

“ But,” said I, interrupting, “ what mean you, 
by saying that you were a lieutenant in the navy 
a week ago ? ” 

“ I mean that I’ve given it up. I’m tired of 
the sea. I only value it as a means of getting 
from one country to another. The land, the land 
for me ! You must know that an old uncle, a 


2 


14 


WILD PLANS. 


rich old uncle of mine, whom I never saw, died 
lately and left me his whole fortune. Of course^ 
he died in India. All old uncles who die sud- 
denly and leave unexpected fortunes to unsus- 
pecting nephews, are old Indian uncles, and mine 
was no exception to the general rule. So Fm 
independent like you, Ralph, only I’ve got three 
or four thousand a year instead of hundreds, I 
believe, but Pm not sure, and don’t care — and 
I’m determined now to go on a long hunting ex- 
pedition. What think ye of all that, my boy ? ” 

“ In truth,” said I, “ it would puzzle me to say 
what I think, I am so filled with surprise by all 
you tell me. But you forget that you have not 
yet told me to which part of the world you mean 
to go, and what sort of beast it is you are so de- 
termined to see and shoot if you can.” 

“ If I can ! ” echoed Peterkin with a contemp- 
tuous curl of the lip. u Did not I tell you that I 
was a celebrated hunter. Without meaning to 
boast I may tell you that there is no peradven- 
ture in my shooting. If I only get there and 
see the brute within long range I’ll — hah ! 
won’t I ! ” 

“ Get where , and see what.” 

k ‘ Get to Africa and see the gorilla ! ” cried 
Peterkin, while a glow of enthusiasm lighted up 
his eyes. “ You’ve heard of the gorilla, Ralph, 
of course — the great ape — the enormous puggy 
— the huge baboon — the man monkey, that 


WILD PLANS. 


15 


we’ve been hearing so much of for some years 
back, and that the niggers on the African coast 
used to dilate about till they caused the very 
hair of my head to stand upon end. I’m deter- 
mined to shoot a gorilla, or prove him to be a 
myth. And I mean you to come and help me, 
Ralph ; he’s quite in your way. A bit of natu- 
ral history, I suppose, although he seems by all 
accounts to be a very unnatural monster. And 
Jack shall go too, I’m resolved on that — and we 
three shall roam the wild woods again, as we did 
in days of yore, and — ” 

“ Hold Peterkin,” said I, interrupting. “ How 
do you know that Jack will go ? ” 

“ How do I know ? Intuitively, of course. I 
shall write to him to-night; the post does not 
leave till ten. He’ll get it to-morrow at break- 
fast, and will catch the forenoon coach, which 
will bring him down here by two o’clock, and 
then we’ll begin our preparations at once, and 
talk the matter over at dinner. So you see it’s 
all cut and dry. Give me a sheet of paper and 
I’ll write at once — ah ! here’s a bit — now a pen. 
Bless me, Ralph, haven’t you got a quill ? Who 
ever heard of a philosophical naturalist writing 
with steel ! Now, then, here goes, — 1 B’luv’d 
Jack,’ — will that do to begin with ? eh ! Pm 
afraid it’s too affectionate ; he’ll think it’s from a 
lady friend. But it can’t be altered, — 1 Here I 
am, and here’s Ralph — Ralph Rover !!!!!! think 


16 


AN ACCIDENT. 


of that’ (I say, Ralph, I’ve put six marks of admi- 
ration there) ; ‘ I’ve found him out. Do come to 
see us. Excruciatingly important business. 
Ever thine — Peterkin Gay.’ Will that bring 
him, d’ye think ? ” 

“ I think it will,” said I, laughing. 

“ Then off with it, Ralph,” cried my volatile 
friend, jumping up and looking hastily round for 
the bell-rope. Not being able to find it, my bell- 
pull being an unobtrusive knob and not a rope, 
he rushed to the door, unlocked it, darted out, 
and uttered a tremendous roar, which was fol- 
lowed by a clatter and a scream from old Agnes, 
whom he had upset and tumbled over. 

It was curious to note the sudden change that 
took place in Peterkin’s face, voice, and manner, 
as he lifted the poor old woman, who was very 
thin and light, in his arms, and carrying her into 
the room, placed her in my easy chair. Real 
anxiety was depicted in his countenance, and he 
set her down with a degree of care and tender- 
ness that quite amazed me. I was myself very 
much alarmed at first. 

“ My poor dear old woman,” said Peterkin, 
supporting my landlady’s head, “ my stupid haste ! 
I fear you are hurt.” 

“ Hech ! it’s nae hurt — it’s deed I am, fair 
deed ; killed be a whaumlskamerin’ young blag- 
yird. Oh, ma puir heed ! ” 

The maimer and tone in which this was said 


EXPECTATION. 


17 


convinced me that old Agnes was more fright- 
ened than injured. In a few minutes the sooth- 
ing tones and kind manner of my friend had such 
an effect upon her that she declared she was bet- 
ter, and believed after all that she was only a 
u wee bit frichtened.” Nay, so completely was 
she conciliated, that she insisted on conveying 
the note to the post-office, despite Peterkin’s as- 
surance that he would not hear of it. Finally 
she hobbled out of the room with the letter in 
her hand. 

It is interesting to note, how that, in most of 
the affairs of humanity, things turn out very differ- 
ent, often totally different, from what we had 
expected or imagined. During the remainder of 
that evening Peterkin and I talked frequently 
and much of our old friend Jack Martin. We 
recalled his manly yet youthful countenance, his 
bold lion-like courage, his broad shoulders and 
winning gentle smile, and, although we knew 
that six years must have made an immense dif- 
ference in his personal appearance — for he was 
not much more than eighteen when we last 
parted — we could not think of him except as a 
hearty, strapping, sailor boy. We planned, too, 
how we would meet him at the coach ; how we 
would stand aside in the crowd until he began 
to look about for us in surprise, and then one of 
us would step forward and ask if he wished to 
be directed to any particular part of the town, 
2 * 


18 


DISAPPOINTMENT. 


and so lead him on and talk to him as a stranger 
for some time before revealing who we were. 
And much more to the same effect. But when 
next day came our plans and our conceptions 
were utterly upset. 

A little before two we sauntered down to the 
coach-office, and waited impatiently for nearly 
twenty minutes. Of course the coach was late ; 
it always is on such occasions ! 

“ Suppose he does not come,” said I. 

“ What a fellow you are,” cried Peterkin, “ to 
make uncomfortable suppositions ! Let us rather 
suppose that he does come.” 

“ Oh, then, it would be all right ; but if he does 
not come, what then ? ” 

“ Why, then, it would be all wrong, and we 
should have to return home and eat our dinner 
in the sulks, that’s all.” 

As my companion spoke we observed the 
coach come sweeping round the turn of the road 
about half a mile distant. In a few seconds it 
dashed into the town at full gallop, and finally 
drew up abruptly opposite the door of the inn, 
where were assembled the usual group of hos- 
tlers and waiters and people who expected friends 
by the coach. 

“ He’s not there,” whispered Peterkin in deep 
disappointment ; “ at least he’s not on the out- 
side, and Jack would never travel inside of a 
coach even in bad weather, much less in fine. 


DISAPPOINTMENT. 


19 


That’s not him on the back-seat beside the fat 
old woman with the blue bundle, surely! It’s 
very like him, but too young, much too young. 
There’s a great giant of a man on the box-seat 
with a beard like a grenadier’s shacko, and a 
stout old gentleman behind him with gold spec- 
tacles. That’s all, except two boys further 
aft, and three ladies in the cabin. Oh, what a 
bore ! ” 

Although deeply disappointed at the non-ar- 
rival of Jack, I could with difficulty refrain from 
smiling at the rueful and woe-begone counte- 
nance of my poor companion. It was evident 
that he could not bear disappointment with 
equanimity, and I was on the point of offering 
some consolatory remarks when my attention 
was attracted by the little old woman with the 
blue bundle, who went up to the gigantic man 
with the black beard, and in the gentlest possible 
tone of voice asked if he could direct her to the 
white house. 

“ No, madam,” replied the big man hastily, 
I’m a stranger here.” 

The little old woman was startled by his 
abrupt answer, — Deary me, sir, no offence I 
hope.” 

She then turned to Peterkin, and put the same 
question, possibly under a vague sort of impres- 
sion that if a gigantic frame betokened a gruff 
nature, diminutive stature must necessarily im- 


20 


VERY CONSIDERATE. 


ply extreme amiability. If so, she must have 
been much surprised as well as disappointed, for 
Peterkin, rendered irascible by disappointment, 
turned short round and said sharply, “ Why, 
madam, how can I tell you where the white 
house is, unless you say which white house you 
want. Half the houses of the town are white 
— at least they’re dirty white,” he added, bitterly, 
as he turned away. 

“ I think I can direct you, ma’am,” said I, 
stepping quickly up with a bland smile, in order 
to counteract if possible my companion’s rude- 
ness. 

“ Thank you, sir, kindly,” said the little old 
woman, “ I’m glad to find some little civility in 
the town.” 

“ Come with me, ma’am ; I am going past the 
white house, and will show you the way.” 

“ And pray, sir,” said the big stranger, step- 
ping up to me as I was about to move away, 
“ can you recommend me to a good hotel ? ” 

1 replied that I could ; that there was one in 
the immediate vicinity of the white house, and 
that if he would accompany me, I would show 
him the way. All this I did purposely in a very 
affable and obliging tone and manner ; for I hold 
that example is infinitely better than precept, and 
always endeavor if possible to overcome evil with 
good. I ofFered my arm to the old woman, who 
thanked me, and took it. 


A SURPRISE. 


21 


“ What ! ” whispered Peterkin, “ you don’t 
mean me to take this great ugly gorilla in tow ? ” 

“ Of course,” replied I, laughing, as I led the 
way. 

Immediately I entered into conversation with 
my companion, and I heard “ the gorilla ” at- 
tempt to do so with Peterkin ; but from the few 
sharp cross replies that reached my ear, I became 
aware that he was unsuccessful. In the course 
of a few minutes, however, he appeared to have 
overcome his companion’s ill-humor, for I over- 
heard their voices growing louder and more ani- 
mated as they walked behind me. 

Suddenly I heard a shout, and, turning hastily 
round, observed Peterkin struggling in the arms 
of the gorilla ! Amazed beyond measure at the 
sight, and firmly persuaded that a cowardly as- 
sault had been made upon my friend, I seized 
the old woman’s umbrella, as the only available 
weapon, and flew to the rescue. 

“ Jack, my boy ! can it be possible ! ” gasped 
Peterkin. 

“ I believe it is,” replied Jack, laughing. 
“ Ralph, my dear old fellow, how are you?” 

I stood petrified. I believed that I was in a 
dream. I know not what occurred during the 
next five minutes. All I could remember with 
any thing like distinctness was a succession of 
violent screams from the little old woman, who 
fled shouting thieves and murder at the full 


22 


A SURPRISE. 


pitch of her voice. We never saw that old 
woman again, but I made a point of returning 
her umbrella to the “ white house.” 

Gradually we became collected and sane. 

u Why, Jack, how did you find us out ? ” cried 
Peterkin, as we all hurried on to my lodgings, 
totally forgetful of the little old woman whom 
as I have said, we never saw again, but who, I 
sincerely trust, arrived at the white house in 
safety. 

“ Find you out ! I knew you the moment I 
set eyes on you. Ralph puzzled me for a second, 
he has grown so much stouter, but I should 
know your nose, Peterkin, at a mile off.” 

“ Well, Jack, I did not know you,” retorted 
Peterkin, “ but I’m safe never again to forget you. 
Such a great hairy cossack as you have become ! 
Why, what do you mean by it ? ” 

“ I couldn’t help it, please,” pleaded Jack, “ I 
grew in spite of myself, but I think I’ve stopped 
now.” 

“ It’s time,” remarked Peterkin. 

Jack had indeed grown to a size that men sel- 
dom attain to without losing in grace infinitely 
more* than they gain in bulk, but he had retained 
all the elegance of form and sturdy vigor of ac- 
tion that had characterized him as a boy. He 
was fully six feet two inches in his stockings, 
but so perfect were his proportions that his great 
height did not become apparent until you came 


peterkin’s plans. 


23 


close up to him. Full half of his handsome 
manly face was hid by a bushy black beard and 
moustache, and his curly hair had been allowed 
to grow luxuriantly, so that his whole aspect 
was more like to the descriptions we have of one 
of the old Scandinavian Vi-Kings than a gentle- 
man of the present time. In whatever company 
he chanced to be he towered high above every 
one else, and I am satisfied that, had he walked 
down Whitechapel the horse guards would have 
appeared small beside him, for he possessed not 
only great length of limb, but immense breadth 
of chest and shoulders. 

During our walk to my lodgings, Peterkin 
hurriedly stated his “ plan and proposal ” which 
caused Jack to laugh very much at first, but in a 
few minutes he became grave and said slowly, 
“ That will just suit, it will do exactly.” 

“ What will do exactly ? Do be more explicit, 
man,” said Peterkin with some impatience. 

*“ I’ll go with you, my boy.” 

“ Will you ? ” cried Peterkin, seizing his hand 
and shaking it violently, “ I knew you would. I 
said it ; didn’t I, Ralph ? And now we shall be 
sure of a gorilla if there’s one in Africa, for I’ll 
use you as a stalking-horse.” 

“ Indeed ! ” exclaimed Jack. 

“ Yes, I’ll put a bear-skin or some sort of fur 
on your shoulders, and tie a lady’s boa to you 
for a tail, and send you into the woods. The 


24 


peterkin’s plans. 


gorillas will be sure to mistake you for a relative 
until you get quite close, then, you’ll take one 
pace to the left with the left foot (as the volqji- 
teers say), I’ll take one to the front with the 
right — at fifty yards, ready — present — bang, 
and down goes the huge puggy with a bullet 
right between its two eyes ! There. And Ralph’s 
agreed to go too.” 

u O Peterkin, I’ve done nothing of the sort. 
You proposed it.” 

u Well, and isn’t that the same thing. I won- 
der, Ralph, that you can give way to such mean- 
spirited prevarication. What ? ‘ It’s not prevari- 
cation ! ’ Don’t say that now, you know it is, 
ah ! you may laugh, my boy, but you have prom- 
ised to go with me and Jack to Africa, and go 
you sh&ll.” 

And so, reader, it was ultimately settled, and 
in the course of two weeks more we three were 
on our way to the land of the slave, the black 
savage, and the gorilla. * 


LIFE IN THE WILD WOODS. 


25 


CHAPTER II. - 

LIFE IN THE WILD WOODS. 

One night, about five or six weeks after our 
resolution to go to Africa on a hunting expedi- 
tion was formed, I put to myself the question, 
“ Can it be possible that we are actually here, in 
the midst of it ? ” 

“ Certainly, my boy, in the very thick of it,” 
answered Peterkin, in a tone of voice which 
made Jack laugh while I started and ex- 
claimed, — 

“ Why, Peterkin, how did you come to guess 
my thoughts ? ” 

“ Because, Ralph, you have got into a habit 
of thinking aloud, which may do very well as 
long as you have no secrets to keep ; but it may 
prove inconvenient some day, so I warn you in 
time.” 

Not feeling disposed at that time to enter into 
a bantering conversation with my volatile com- 
panion I made no reply, but abandoned myself 
again to the pleasing fancies and feelings which 
were called up by the singular scene in the midst 
of which I found myself. 

It seemed as if it were but yesterday when we 
a 


26 


LIFE IN THE WILD WOODS. 


drove about the crowded streets of London mak- 
ing the necessary purchases for our intended 
journey, and now as I gazed around, every object 
that met my eye seemed strange, and wild, and 
foreign, and romantic. We three were reclining 
round an enormous wood fire in the midst of a 
great forest, the trees and plants of which were 
quite new to me, and totally unlike those of my 
native land. Rich? luxuriance of vegetation was 
the feature that filled my mind most. Tall palms 
surrounded us, throwing their broad leaves over- 
head and partially concealing the star-lit sky. 
Thick tough limbs of creeping plants and wild 
vines twisted and twined round every thing and 
over every thing, giving to the woods an appear- 
ance of tangled impenetrability ; but the beauti- 
ful leaves of some, and the delicate tendrils of 
others, half concealed the sturdy limbs of the 
trees, and threw over the whole a certain air of 
wild grace, as might a semitransparent and beau- 
tiful robe if thrown around the form of a savage. 

The effect of a strong fire in the woods at night 
is to give to surrounding space an appearance . 
of ebony blackness, against which dark ground 
the gnarled stems and branches and pendant foli- 
age appear as if traced out in light and lovely 
colors, which are suffused with a rich warm tone 
from the blaze. 

We were now in the wilds of Africa, although, 
as I have said, I found it difficult to believe the 


jack’s character. 


27 


fact. Jack and I wore loose brown shooting- 
coats and pantaloons, but we had made up our 
minds to give up waistcoats and neckcloths, so 
that our scarlet flannel shirts with turned down 
collars gave to us quite a picturesque and brig- 
and-like appearance, as we encircled the blaze, 
Peterkin smoking vigorously, for he had acquired 
that bad and very absurd habit at sea. Jack 
smoked, too, but he was not so inveterate as 
Peterkin. 

Jack was essentially moderate in his nature. 
He did nothing violently or in a hurry ; but this 
does not imply that he was slow or lazy. He 
was leisurely in disposition, and circumstances 
seldom required him to be otherwise. When 
Peterkin or I had to lift heavy weights we were 
obliged to exert our utmost strength and agitate 
our whole frames ; but Jack was so powerful 
that a comparatively slight effort was all that he 
was usually obliged to make. Again, when we 
two were in a hurry we walked quickly, but Jack’s 
long limbs enabled him to keep up with us with- 
out effort. Nevertheless there were times when 
he was called upon to act quickly and with en- 
ergy. On those occasions he was as active as 
Peterkin himself, but his movements were tre- 
mendous. It was, I may almost say, awful to 
behold Jack when acting under powerful excite- 
ment. He was indeed a splendid fellow, and 


28 


OUR COSTUMES. 


not by any means deserving of the name of 
gorilla, which Peterkin had bestowed on him. 

But to continue my description of our costume. 
We all wore home-spun gray trousers of strong 
material, Peterkin and Jack wore leggings in ad- 
dition, so that they seemed to have on what are 
now termed knickerbockers. Peterkin, however, 
had no coat. He preferred a stout gray flannel 
shirt hanging down to his knees and belted round 
his waist in the form of a tunic. Oar tastes in 
head-dress were varied. Jack wore a pork-pie 
cap. Peterkin and I had wide-awakes. My fa- 
cetious little companion said that I had selected 
this species of hat because I was always more 
than half asleep ! Being peculiar in every thing, 
Peterkin wore his wide-awake in an unusual 
manner, namely, turned up at the back, down at 
the front, and curled very much up at the sides. 

We were so filled with admiration of Jack’s 
magnificent beard and moustache that Peterkin 
and I had resolved to cultivate ours while in 
Africa, but I must say that, as I looked at Peter- 
kin’s face, the additional hair was not at that 
time an improvement, and I believe that much 
more could not have been said for myself. The 
effect on my little comrade was to cause the 
lower part of his otherwise good-looking face to 
appear extremely dirty. 

“ I wonder,” said Peterkin after a long silence, 


ENTHUSIASM. 


29 


“ if we shall reach the Niggers’ village in time 
for the hunt to-morrow. I fear that we have 
spent too much time in this wild-goose chase.” 

“ Wild-goose chase, Peterkin ! ” I exclaimed. 
“ Do you call hunting the gorilla by such a 
term ? ” 

“ Hunting the gorilla ? no, certainly, but look- 
ing for the gorilla in a part of the woods where 
no such beast was ever heard of since Adam 
was a schoolboy — ” 

“ Nay, Peterkin,” interrupted Jack, “ we are 
getting very near to the gorilla country, and you 
must make allowance for the enthusiasm of a 
naturalist.” 

“ Ah ! we shall see where the naturalist’s en- 
thusiasm will fly to when we actually do come 
face to face with the big puggy.” 

“ Well,” said I, apologetically, “ I won’t press 
you to go hunting again ; I’ll be content to fol- 
low.” 

u Press me, my dear .Ralph,” exclaimed Peter- 
kin hastily, fearing that he had hurt my feelings, 
“ why, man, I do but jest with you, you are so 
horridly literal, Pm overjoyed to be pressed to 
go on the maddest wild-goose chase that ever 
was invented. My greatest delight would be to 
go gorilla-hunting down Fleet Street, if you 
were so disposed. But to be serious, Jack, do 
you think we shall be in time for the elephant 
hunt to-morrow ? ” 


3* 


30 EFFECTS OF ROAST MONKEY. 

“ Ay, in capital time, if yon don’t knock up.” 

“ What ! I knock up ! I’ve a good mind to 
knock yon down for suggesting such an egregious 
impossibility.” 

“ That’s an impossibility anyhow, Peterkin, 
because I’m down already,” said Jack, yawning 
lazily and stretching out his limbs in a more 
comfortable and degag6 manner. 

Peterkin seemed to ponder as he smoked his 
pipe for some time in silence. 

“ Ralph,” said he, looking up suddenly, “ I 
don’t feel a bit sleepy, and yet I’m tired enough.” 

“ You are smoking too much, perhaps,” I sug- 
gested. 

“ It’s not that,” cried Jack, “ he has eaten too 
much supper.” 

“ Base insinuation ! ” retorted Peterkin. 

“ Then it must be the monkey. That’s it. 
Roast monkey does not agree with you.” 

“ Do you know, I shouldn’t wonder if you 
were right ; and it’s a pity, too, for we shall have 
to live a good deal on such fare, I believe. How- 
ever, I suppose, we shall get used to it. But I 
say, boys, isn’t it jolly to be out here living like 
savages. I declare it seems to me like a dream, 
or a romance. Just look, Ralph, at the strange 
wild creepers that are festooned overheard, and 
the great tropical leaves behind us, and the clear 
sky above, with the moon — ah ! the moon, yes 
that’s one comfort, the moon is unchanged. The 


AN ALARM. 


31 


same moon that smiles down upon us through a 
tangled mesh- work of palm leaves and wild 
vines and monkeys’ tails, is peeping down the 
chimney-pots of London, and Edinburgh, and 
Dublin ! ” 

“ Why, Peterkin, you must have studied hard 
in early life to be so good a geographer.” 

“ Rather,” observed Peterkin. 

“ Yes, and look at the strange character of the 
tree-stems,” said I, unwilling to allow the sub- 
ject to drop. “ Bee those htige palmettoes like — 
like—” 

“ Overgrown cabbages,” suggested Peterkin ; 
and, he continued, “ Observe the quaint original- 
ity of form in the body and limbs of that bloated 
old spider that is crawling up your leg, Ralph ! ” 

I started involuntarily, for there is no creature 
of which I have a greater abhorrence than a 
spider. 

“ Where is it ? oh ! I see,” and the next mo- 
ment I secured my prize and placed it with 
loathing, but interest, in my entomological box. 

At that moment a hideous roar rang through 
the woods seemingly close behind us. We all 
started to our feet and seizing our rifles, which 
lay beside us ready loaded, cocked them and 
drew close together round the fire. 

“ This won’t do, lads,” said Jack, after a few 
.minutes’ breathless suspense, during which the 
only sound we could hear was the beating of 


32 


AN ALARM. 


our own hearts, u we have allowed the fire to get 
too low, and we’ve forgotten to adopt our friend 
the trader’s advice, and make two fires.” 

So saying, Jack laid down his rifle, and kick- 
ing the logs with his heavy boot, sent up such a 
cloud of bright sparks as must certainly have 
scared the wild animal, whatever it was, away ; 
for we heard no more of it that night. 

“ You’re right, Jack,” remarked Peterkin, u so 
let us get up a blaze as fast as we can, and I’ll 
take the first watch,* not being sleepy. Come 
along.” 

In a few minutes we cut down with our axes 
a sufficient quantity of dry wood to keep two 
large fires going all night ; we then kindled our 
second fire at a few yards distant from the first, 
and made our camp between them. This pre- 
caution we took in order to scare away the wild 
animals whose cries we heard occasionally during 
the night. Peterkin, having proposed to take 
the first watch — for we had to watch by turns 
all the night through — lighted his pipe and sat 
down before the cheerful fire with his back 
against the stem of a palm-tree, and his rifle 
lying close to his hand to be ready in case of a 
surprise. There were many natives wandering 
about in that neighborhood, some of whom might 
be ignorant of our having arrived at their village 
on a peaceful errand. If these should have 
chanced to come upon us suddenly there was no 


BIVOUAC IN THE WOODS. 


33 


saying what they might do in their surprise and 
alarm, so it behoved us to be on our guard. 

Jack ana I unrolled the light blankets that we 
carried strapped to our shoulders through the 
day, and, laying ourselves down side by side, 
with our feet to the fire and our heads, pillowed 
on a soft pile of sweet-scented grass, we addressed 
ourselves to sleep. But sleep did not come so 
soon as we expected. I have noted with some 
surprise and much interest the curious phases of 
the phenomenon of sleep. When I have gone 
to bed, excessively fatigued and expecting to fall 
asleep almost at once, I have been surprised and 
annoyed to find that the longer I wooed the 
drowsy god the longer he refused to come to me, 
and at last, when I have given up the attempt in 
despair, he has suddenly laid his gentle hand upon 
my eyes and carried me into the land of Nod. 
Again, when I have been exceedingly anxious to 
keep awake, I have been attacked by sleep with 
such irresistible energy that I have been utterly 
unable to keep my eyelids open or my head 
erect, and have sat with my eyes blinking like 
those of an owl in the sunshine, and my head 
nodding like that of a Chinese mandarin. 

On this our first night in the African bush, at 
least our first night on a hunting expedition, — 
we had been many nights in the woods on our 
journey to that spot — on this night, I say, Jack 
and I could by no means get to sleep for a very 


34 


BIVOUAC IN THE WOODS. 


long time after we lay down, but continued to 
gaze up through the leafy screen overhead at the 
stars which seemed to wink at us, I almost fan- 
cied, jocosely. We did not speak to each other, 
but purposely kept silence. After a time, how- 
ever, Jack groaned, and said softly, — 

“ Ralph, are you asleep ? ” 

“ No,” said I, yawning. 

“ I’m quite sure that Peterkin is,” added Jack, 
raising his head and looking across the fire at 
the half-recumbent form of our companion. 

“ Is he ? ” said Peterkin in a low tone, “ Just 
about as sound as a weasel ! ” 

“ Jack,” said I. 

« Well?” 

“ I can’t sleep a wink — ye-a-ow ! isn’t it 
odd?” 

“ No more can I. Do you know, Ralph, I’ve 
been counting the red berries in that tree above 
me for half an hour in the hope that the monot- 
ony of the thing would send me off ; but I was 
interrupted by a small monkey who has been 
sitting up among the branches and making faces 
at me for full twenty minutes. There it is yet, 
1 believe. Do you see it ? ” 

“ No ; where ? ” 

“ Almost above your head.” 

I gazed upward intently for a few minutes, 
until I thought I saw the monkey, but it was 
very indistinct. Gradually, however, it became 


CURIOUS PHENOMENA. 


35 


more defined ; then to my surprise it turned out 
to be the head of an elephant ! I was not only 
amazed but startled at this. 

“ Get your rifle, Jack ! ” said I in a low whis- 
per. 

Jack made some sort of a reply, but his voice 
sounded hollow and indistinct. Then I looked 
up again and saw that it was the head of a hip- 
popotamus, not that of an elephant, which was 
looking down at me. Curiously enough I felt 
little or no surprise at this, and when, in the 
course of a few minutes, I observed a pair of 
horns growing out of the creature’s eyes, and a 
bushy tail standing erect on the apex of its 
head, I ceased to be astonished at the sight alto- 
gether, and regarded it as quite natural and 
common-place. The object afterwards assumed 
the appearance of a lion with a crocodile’s tail 
and a serpent with a monkey’s head, and lastly 
of a gorilla, without producing in me any other 
feeling than that of profound indifference. Grad- 
ually the whole scene vanished, and I became 
totally oblivious. 

This state of happy unconsciousness had 
scarcely lasted — it seemed to me — two minutes, 
when I was awakened by Peterkin laying his 
hand on my shoulder and saying, — 

“ Now then, Ralph, it’s time to rouse up.” 

“ O Peterkin,” said I in a tone of remonstrance, 
u how could you be so unkind as to awaken me 


36 


KEEPING WATCH. 


when I had just got to sleep ? Shabby fel- 
low ! ” 

“Just got to sleep, say you? You’ve been 
snoring like an apoplectic alderman for exactly 
two hours.” 

- You don’t say so ! ” I exclaimed, getting into 
a sitting posture. 

u Indeed you have. I’m sorry to rouse you, 
but time’s up, and I’m sleepy ; so rub your eyes, 
man, and try to look a little less like an aston- 
ished owl if you can. I have just replenished 
both the fires, so you can lean your back against 
that palm-tree and take it easy for three-quarters 
of an hour or so. After that you’ll have to heap 
on more wood.” 

I looked at Jack, who was now lying quite 
unconscious, breathing with the slow, deep regu- 
larity of profound slumber, and with his mouth 
wide open. 

“ What a chance for some waggish baboon 
to drop a nut or a berry in!” said Peterkin, 
winking at me with one eye as he lay down in 
the spot from which I had just risen. 

He was very sleepy, poor fellow, and could 
hardly smile at his own absurd fancy. He was 
asleep almost instantly. In fact, I do not be- 
lieve that he again opened the eye with which 
he had winked at me, but that he merely shut 
the other and began to slumber forthwith. 

I now began to feel quite interested in my 


KEEPING WATCH. 


37 


responsible position as guardian of the camp. I 
examined my rifle to see that it was in order and 
capped; then, leaning against the palm-tree, 
which was, as it were, my sentry-box, I stood 
erect and rubbed my hands and took off my cap 
so that the pleasant night air might play about 
my temples, and more effectually banish drowsi- 
ness. 

In order to accomplish this more thoroughly, I 
walked round both fires and readjusted the logs, 
sending up showers of sparks as I did so. Then 
I went to the edge of the circle of light, in the 
centre of which our camp lay, and peered into 
the gloom of the dark forest. 

There was something inexpressibly delightful, 
yet solemn in my feelings as I gazed into that 
profound obscurity where the great tree stems 
and the wild gigantic foliage nearest to me ap- 
peared ghost-like and indistinct, and the deep 
solitudes of which were peopled, not only with 
the strange fantastic forms of my excited fancy, 
but, as I knew full well, with real wild creatures, 
both huge and small, such as my imagination 
at that time had not fully conceived. I felt awed, 
almost oppressed with the deep silence around, 
and, I must confess, looked somewhat nervously 
over my shoulder as I returned to the fire and 
sat down to keep watch at my post. 


4 


38 


I MOUNT GUARD. 


CHAPTER III. 

WHEREIN I MOUNT GUARD, AND HOW I DID IT, ETC. 

Now, it so happened that the battle which I 
had to fight with myself after taking my post 
was precisely the converse of that which I fought 
during the earlier part of that night. Then, it 
was a battle with wakefulness ; now, it was a 
straggle with sleep ; and of the two fights the lat- 
ter was the more severe by far. 

I began by laying down my rifle close by my 
side, leaning back in a sitting posture against 
the palm-tree, and resigning myself to the con- 
templation of the fire, which burned merrily be- 
fore me, while I pondered with myself how I 
should best employ my thoughts during the three 
long hours of my watch. But I had not dwelt 
on that subject more than three minutes when I 
was rudely startled by my own head falling sud- 
denly and heavily forward on my chest. I im- 
mediately roused myself. “ Ah! Ralph, Ralph,” 
said I to myself in a whisper, “this won’t do, 
lad ; to sleep at your post ! shame on you ! Had 
you been a sentinel in time of war that nod would 
have cost you your life, supposing you to have 
been caught in the act n 


I MOUNT GUARD. 


39 


Soliloquizing thus, I arose and shook myself. 
Then I slapped my chest several times and 
pulled my nose and sat down again. Only a 
few minutes elapsed before the same thing oc- 
curred to me again, so I leaped up, and mended 
the fires, and walked to and fro, until I felt thor- 
oughly awake, but in order to make sure that it 
should not occur again I walked to the edge of the 
circle of light and gazed for some time into the 
dark forest, as I had done before. While stand- 
ing thus I felt my knees give way, as if they had 
been suddenly paralyzed, and I awoke just in 
time to prevent myself falling to the ground. I 
must confess I was much amazed at this, for, 
although I had often read of soldiers falling asleep 
standing at their posts, I had never believed the 
thing possible. 

I now became rather anxious, “ for,” thought 
I, u if I go to sleep, and the fires die down, who 
knows but wild beasts may come upon us and 
kill us before we can seize our arms.” For a 
moment or two I meditated awaking Jack and 
begging him to keep me company, but when I 
reflected that his watch was to come immediately 
after mine, I had not the heart to do it. “ No ! ” 
said I (and I said it aloud for the purpose of pre- 
venting drowsiness), “ no, I will fight this battle 
alone ! I will repeat some stanzas from my fa- 
vorite authors. Yes, I will try to remember a 
portion of i Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ It will 


40 


ANOTHER ALARM. 


be somewhat appropriate to my present circum- 
stances.” 

Big with this resolve I sat down with my face 
to the fire and my back to the palm-tree, and — 
fell sound asleep instantly ! 

How long I lay in this condition I know not, 
but I was suddenly awakened by a yell so appal- 
ling that my heart leaped as if into my throat, 
and my nerves thrilled with horror. For one in- 
stant I was paralyzed ; then my blood seemed 
to rebound on its course. I sprang up and at- 
tempted to seize my rifle. 

The reader may judge of my state of mind 
when I observed that it was gone ! I leaped 
towards the fire, and grasping a lighted brand 
turned round and glared into the woods in the 
direction whence the yell came. 

It was gray dawn, and I could see things pretty 
distinctly; but the only living object that met 
my gaze was Peterkin, who stood with my rifle 
in his hand laughing heartily ! 

I immediately turned to look at Jack who was 
sitting up in the spot where he had passed the 
night, with a sleepy smile on his countenance. 

“ Why, what’s the meaning of this ? ” I in- 
quired. 

“The meaning of it?” cried Peterkin as he 
advanced and restored the rifle to its place. “ A 
pretty fellow you are to mount guard ; we might 
have been all murdered in our sleep by niggers 


A REBUKE. 


41 


or eaten alive by gorillas, for all that you would 
have done to save us.” 

“ But, Peterkin,” said I gravely, u you ought 
not to have startled me so ; you gave me a terri- 
ble fright. People have been driven mad before 
now, I assure you, by such practical jokes.” 

“ My dear fellow,” cried Peterkin with much 
earnestness, “ I know that as well as you. But, 
in the first place, you were guilty of so heinous 
a crime that I determined to punish you, and at 
the same time to do it in a way that would im- 
press it forcibly on your memory; and, in the 
second place, 1 would not have done it at all 
had I not known that your nerves are as strong 
as those of a dray horse. You ought to be tak- 
ing shame to yourself on account of your fault 
rather than objecting to your punishment.” 

u Peterkin is right, my boy,” said Jack, laugh- 
ing, u though I must say he had need to be sure 
of the nerves of any one to whom he intends to 
administer such a ferocious yell as that. Any- 
how, I have no reason to complain, for you have 
given me a good long sleep ; although I can’t 
say exactly that you have taken my watch. It 
will be broad daylight in half an hour, so we 
must be stirring, comrades.” 

On considering the subject I admitted the 
force of these remarks, and felt somewhat crest- 
fallen. No doubt, my companions had treated 
the thing jocularly, and to say truth there was 

4 * 


42 


A REBUKE. 


much that was comical in the whole affair, but 
the more I thought of it, the more I came to per- 
ceive how terrible might have been the conse- 
quences of my unfaithfulness as a sentinel. I 
laid the lesson to heart, and I can truly say that 
from that day to this I have never again been 
guilty of the crime of sleeping at my post. 

We now busied ourselves in collecting together 
the dying embers of our fire and in preparing 
breakfast, which consisted of tea, hard biscuit, 
and cold monkey. None of us liked the mon- 
key, — not that its flesh was bad ; quite the con- 
trary ; but it looked so like a small roasted baby 
that we could not relish it at all. However, it 
was all we had, for we had set off on this hunt- 
ing excursion intending to live by our rifles, but 
had been unfortunate, having seen nothing ex- 
cept a monkey or two. 

The kettle was soon boiled, and we sat down 
to our meagre fare with hearty appetites. While 
we are thus engaged, I shall turn aside for a little 
and tell the reader, in one or two brief sentences, 
how we got to this place. 

We shipped in a merchant ship at Liverpool, 
and sailed for the west coast of Africa. Arrived 
there we found a party, under the command of a 
Portuguese trader, about to set off to the interior. 
He could speak a little English ; so we arranged 
to go with him as far as he intended to proceed, 
learn as much of the native language as possible 


AFRICAN TRADE. 43 

his company, and then obtain a native 
guide to conduct us to the country in which the 
gorillas are found. To this native guide, we ar- 
ranged, should be explained by the trader our 
object in visiting the country, so that he might 
tell the tribes whom he intended to visit. This, 
we found, was an absolutely needful precaution 
on the following ground. 

The natives of Africa have a singular and very 
bad style of carrying on trade with the white 
men who visit their shores. The traffic consists 
chiefly of ivory; bar-wood, a wood much used 
in dyeing ; and india-rubber. The natives of 
the far interior are not allowed to convey these 
commodities directly to the coast, but by the 
law of the land (which means the law of the 
strongest, — for they are absolute savages), are 
obliged to deliver their goods to the care of the 
tribe next to them ; these pass them on to the 
next tribe ; and so on they go from tribe to tribe 
till they reach the coast, where they , are sold by 
the tribe there. The price obtained, which usu- 
ally consists of guns, powder and shot, looking- 
glasses, cloth, and sundry other articles and 
trinkets useful to men in a savage state, is re- 
turned to the owners in the far interior through 
the same channel ; but as each tribe deducts a 
percentage for its trouble, the price dwindles 
down as it goes, until a mere trifle, sometimes 
nothing at alh remains to be handed over to the 



44 


JEALOUSY OF NATIONS?. 


unfortunate people of the tribe who originally 
sent off the goods for sale. Of course, such a 
system almost paralyzes trade. But the inter- 
mediate tribes between the coast and the interior, 
being the gainers by this system, are exceed- 
ingly jealous of any thing like an attempt to 
carry on direct trade. They are ready to go to 
war with the tribes of the interior should they 
attempt it, and they throw all the opposition 
they can in the way of the few white men who 
ever penetrate the interior for such a purpose. 

It will thus be seen that our travels would be 
hindered very much, if not stopped altogether, 
and ourselves be regarded with jealousy, or per- 
haps murdered, if our motives in going inland 
were not fully and satisfactorily explained to the 
different tribes as we passed through their lands. 
And we therefore proposed to overcome the diffi- 
culty by taking a native guide with us from the 
tribe with which we should chance to be resid- 
ing when obliged to separate from the Portuguese 
trader. 

We had now reached this point. The day 
before that on which we encamped in the woods, 
as above related, we arrived at a native village, 
and had been received kindly by the King. ‘ Al- 
most immediately after our arrival we heard so 
many stories about gorillas that I felt persuaded 
we should fall in with one if we went a-hunting, 
and, being exceedingly anxious to add one to my 


ENTHUSIASM. 


45 


collection of animals, — for I had a small mu- 
seum at home, — I prevailed on Jack and Peter- 
kin to go one day’s journey into the bush to look 
for them. They laughed very much at me in- 
deed, and said that we were still very far away 
from th£.gorilla country ; but I had read in some 
work on Africa a remark to the effect that there 
is no cordillera, or mountain range, extending 
across the whole continent to limit the habitat of 
certain classes of animals, and I thought that if 
any animal in Africa would not consent to re- 
main in one region when it wished to go to an- 
other, that animal must be the ferocious gorilla. 
The trader also laughed at me, and said that he 
had never seen any himself in that region, and 
that we would have to cross the desert before 
seeing them. Still, I felt a disposition to try ; 
besides, I felt certain that we should at least fall 
in with some sort of animals, or plants, or min- 
erals that would be worth collecting ; so it was 
agreed that we should go out for a single day, 
and be back in time for a great elephant hunt 
which was about to take place. 

But, to return from this digression, having fin- 
ished breakfast, we made three bundles or pack- 
ages of our blankets, provisions, and camp equip- 
age ; strapped them on our backs ; and then, 
shouldering our rifles, set out on our return to 
the negro village. 

Of course we gave Jack the largest and heavi- 


46 


FIRST HUNTING EXPEDITION. 


est bundle to carry. Peterkin’s and mine were 
about equal, for, although I was taller than Pe- 
terkin, I was not by any means so powerful or 
active. I often wondered at the great strength 
that lay in the little frame of my friend. To look 
at him, no one would believe that he was such a 
tough, wiry, hardy little fellow. He was the 
same hearty jovial creature that I had lived with 
so pleasantly when he and Jack and I. were cast 
away on the coral island. With the exception 
of a small scrap of whisker on each cheek, a scar 
over the right eye, and a certain air of manliness, 
there was little change in my old comrade. 

“ Ralph,” said Jack as we strode along through 
the forest, “ do you remember how we three used 
to wander about together in the woods of our 
coral island ? ” 

“Remember!” I cried with enthusiasm, for 
at that moment the thought occurred to my own 
mind. u How can I ever forget it, Jack ? It 
seems to me just like yesterday. I can hardly 
believe that six long years have passed since we 
drank that delicious natural lemonade out of the 
green cocoa-nuts, and wandered on the coral 
beach, and visited Penguin Island, and dived 
into the cave to escape the pirates. The whole 
scenes rises up before me so vividly that I could 
fancy we were still there. Ah ! these were happy 
times.” 

“ So they were,” cried Peterkin, “ but don’t 


FIRST HUNTING EXPEDITION. 


47 


you go and become sentimentally sad, Ralph, 
when you talk of those happy days. If we were 
happy there, are we not happy here ? There’s 
no change in us except, indeed, that Jack has 
become a gorilla.” 

“ Ay, and you a monkey,” retorted Jack. 

“ True ; and Ralph a naturalist, which is the 
strangest beast of all,” added Peterkin. “ Can 
you^tell me, Ralph, by the way, what tree that 
is?” 

“ I’m sure I cannot tell. Never saw or heard 
of one like it before,” I replied, looking at the 
tree referred to with some interest. It was a 
fine tree, but the great beauty about it was the 
gorgeous fruit with which it was laden. It hung 
in the form of bunches of large grapes, and was 
of the brightest scarlet color. The glowing 
bunches seemed like precious gems glittering 
amongst the green foliage, and I observed a few 
monkeys and several parrots were peeping at us 
through the branches. 

“ It seems good for food,” said Jack. “ You’d 
better climb up, Peterkin, and pull a few bunches. 
The puggies won’t mind you, of course, being 
one of themselves.” 

“ Ralph,” said Peterkin, turning to me, and 
deigning no reply to Jack, u you call yourself a 
naturalist, so 1 suppose you are acquainted with 
the habits of monkeys, and can turn your knowl- 
edge to practical account” 


48 


PETERKIN A PHILOSOPHER. 


“ Well,” I replied, “ I know something about 
the monkey tribes, but I cannot say that at this 
moment I jemember any particular habit of 
which we might avail ourselves.” 

“ Do you not? Well, now, that’s odd. I’m a 
student of nature myself, and I have picked up a 
little useful knowledge in the course of my trav- 
els. Did you ever travel so far as the Zoological 
Gardens in London ? ” 

“ Of course I have done so, often.” 

“ And did you ever observe a peculiar species 
of monkey, which, when you made a face at it, 
instantly flew into a towering passion, and shook 
the bars of its cage until you expected to see 
them broken ? ” 

“ Yes,” said I, laughing, “ what then ? ” 

“ Look here, you naturalist, and I’ll put a 
wrinkle on your horn. Yonder hangs a magnifi- 
cent bunch of fruit that I very much desire to 
possess.” 

“ But it’s too high to reach,” said I. 

“ But there’s a monkey sitting beside it,” said 
Peterkin. 

“ I see. You don’t expect him to pull it and <■ 
throw it down, do you ? ” 

“ Oh no, certainly not ; but — .” Here Peter- 
kin stepped up to the tree, and looking up at the 
monkey, said, “ O-o-o-oo-o ! ” angrily. 

“ O-o-o-oo-oo / ” replied the monkey, stretch- 
ing out its neck and looking down with an ex- 


CLEVER DEVICES. 


49 


pression of surprise and indignation, as if to say, 
u What on earth do you mean by that ? ” 

“ O-o-o-o-oo-o ! ” roared Peterkin. 

Hereupon the monkey uttered a terrific shriek 
of passion, exposed all its teeth and gums, glared 
at its adversary like a little fiend, and seizing the 
branch with both hands, shook it with all its 
might. The result was, that not only did the 
coveted bunch of fruit fall to the ground, but a 
perfect shower of bunches came down, one of 
which hit Jack on the forehead, and, bursting 
there, sent its fragrant juice down his face and 
into his beard, while the parrots and all the mon- 
keys took to flight, shrieking with mingled terror 
and rage. 

u You see Pm practical man,” observed Peter- 
kin quietly, as he picked up the fruit and began 
to eat it. “ Knowledge is power, my boy. A 
man with a philosophical turn of mind like your- 
self ought to have been up to a dodge of this 
sort. How capital this fruit is, to be sure! 
Does it make good pomade, Jack?” 

“ Excellent ; but as Pm not in the habit of us- 
ing pomade, I shall wash this out of my beard 
as quickly as possible.” 

While Jack went to a brook that ran close to 
where we stood, I tasted the fruit and found it 
most excellent, the pulp being juicy, with a very 
pleasant flavor. 

5 . 


50 


WILD ANIMALS. 


While we were thus engaged a wild pig ran 
grunting past us. 

w Doesn’t that remind you of some of our 
doings on the coral island, Ralph ? ” said Peter- 
kin. 

Before I could reply a herd of lovely small 
gazelles flew past. Our rifles were lying on the 
ground, and before either of us could take aim 
the swift creatures were lost sight of in the thick 
underwood. Peterkin fired one shot at a ven- 
ture, but without any result. 

We were still deploring our stupidity in not 
having our rifles handy when a strange sound 
was heard in the distance. By this time Jack 
had come up, so we all three seized our rifles and 
listened intently. The sound was evidently ap- 
proaching. It was a low dull booming roar 
which at one moment seemed to be- distant thun- 
der, at another, the cry of some huge animal in 
rage or pain. Presently the beating of heavy 
hoofs on the turf and the crash of branches was 
heard. Each of us sprang instinctively towards 
a tree, feeling that, if danger were near, its trunk 
would afford us some protection. 

Being ignorant, as yet, of the cries of the va- 
rious wild beasts inhabiting those woods, we 
were greatly at a loss to determine what creature 
it could be that approached at such headlong 
speed. That its mad career was caused by fear 


DANGER APPROACHES. 


51 


soon became apparent, for the tones of terror 
either in man or beast, when distinctly heard, can- 
not be mistaken. 

Immediately in front of the spot where we 
stood was an open space or glade of considera- 
ble extent. Towards this the animal approached, 
as was evident from the increasing loudness of 
its wild roar which was almost continuous. In 
another moment the thick wall of underwood at 
its further extremity was burst asunder with a 
crash, and a wild buffalo bull bounded into the 
plain and dashed madly across. On its neck 
was crouched a leopard which had fixed its claws 
and teeth deep in the flesh of the agonized ani- 
mal. In vain did the bull bound and rear, toss 
and plunge. At one moment it ran like the 
wind — the next it stopped with such violence 
as to tear up the turf and scatter it around. 
Then it reared, almost falling back; anon it 
plunged and rushed on again, with the foam fly- 
ing from its mouth, and its bloodshot eyes glar- 
ing with the fire of rage and terror, while the 
woods seemed to tremble with its loud and deep- 
toned bellowing. Twice in its passage across 
the open glade it ran, in its blind fury, straight 
against a tree, almost beating in its skull, and, 
for a moment, arresting its progress; but it in- 
stantiy recovered the shock and burst away again 
as madly as ever. But no effort that it was ca- 
pable of making could relieve the poor creature 


52 


A DIFFICULTY. 


from its deadly burden, or cause the leopard in 
the slightest degree to relax its fatal gripe. 

It chanced that the wild bull’s mad gallop was 
in a direction that brought it within a few yards 
of the spot where we stood, so we prepared to 
put an end to its misery. As it drew near, Jack, 
who was in advance, raised his rifle. I, being 
only a short distance from him, also made ready 
to fire, although I confess that in the agitation 
of the moment I could not make up my mind 
whether I should fire at the buffalo or the leopard. 
As far as I can recall my rapid and disjointed 
thoughts on that exciting occasion, I reasoned 
thus, “ If I shoot the leopard, the bull will escape, 
and if I shoot the bull, the leopard will escape.” 
It did not occur to me at that trying moment, 
when self-possession and decision were so neces- 
sary, that I might shoot the bull with one barrel, 
and the leopard with the other. Still less did it 
occur to me that I might miss bull and leopard 
altogether. 

While I was engaged in this hurried train of 
troubled thought, Jack fired both barrels of his 
rifle one after the other as quickly as possible. 
The bull stumbled forward upon its knees. In 
order to make assurance doubly sure I aimed at 
its head anti fired both barrels at once. Instantly 
the bull rose, with a hideous bellow, and stood 
for one moment irresolute glaring at its new 
enemies. The leopard, I observed, was no longer 


PETERKIN IN DANGER. 


58 


on its back. At this moment I heard an excla- 
mation of anger, and looking round I observed 
Peterkin struggling violently in the grasp of one 
of the wild vines or thorny plants, which abound 
in some parts of the African forests and render 
them almost impassable. It seems that as the 
bull drew near, Peterkin, who like Jack and me 
was preparing to shoot, found that a dense thicket 
came between him and the game, so as to pre- 
vent his firing. He leaped nimbly over a bush 
intending to run to another spot whence he could 
more conveniently take aim, but found himself, 
as I have related, suddenly entangled among the 
thorns in such a way that the more he struggled 
the more firmly he became ensnared. Being of 
an impatient disposition he did struggle violently, 
and it was this probably that attracted the atten- 
tion of the bull and decided its future course 
and its ultimate fate, for, after remaining one 
moment, as I have stated, in an irresolute atti- 
tude, it turned suddenly to the left and rushed 
with its head down and its tail up straight at 
Peterki n. 

I cannot describe the sensations that over- 
whelmed me on observing the imminent danger 
of my friend. Horror almost overwhelmed me 
as I gazed with a stare of fascination at the 
frighlful brute, which with flashing eyes and 
bloody foam dripping from its mouth charged 
into the thicket, and crashed through the tough 

5 * 


54 


PETERKIN IN DANGER. 


boughs and bushes as if they were grass. A film 
came over my eyes. I tried to reload my rifle, 
bat my trembling hand refused to act, and I 
groaned with mingled shame and despair on 
finding myself thus incapable of action in the 
hour of extreme peril. At that moment I felt I 
would joyfully have given my own life to have 
saved that of Peterkin. It takes me long to de- 
scribe it, but the whole scene passed with the 
rapidity almost of a flash of light. 

Jack did not even attempt to load, but utter- 
ing a fearful cry, he sprang towards our friend 
with a bound like that of an enraged tiger. A 
gleam of hope flashed through my soul as I be- 
held his gigantic form dash through the under- 
wood. It seemed to me as if no living creature 
could withstand such a furious onset. Alas! for 
Peterkin, had his life depended on Jack, strong 
and lion-like though he was. His aid could not 
have been in time. A higher Power nerved his 
arm and steeled his heart at that terrible moment. 
As I gazed helplessly at Peterkin, I observed 
that ‘he suddenly ceased his struggles to get free, 
and, throwing forward the muzzle of his piece, 
stood boldly up and awaited the onset with calm 
self-possession. The bull, was on him almost in 
an instant. One stride more and he would have 
been lost, but that stride was never taken. His 
rifle poured its deadly charge into the skull of 
the wild bull, which fell, a mass of dead flesh, 
literally at his feet. 


OUR FIRST BUFFALO. 55 

It were vain to attempt to describe the state 
of our feelings on this memorable occasion — the 
fervor with which we thanked our heavenly 
Father for our friend’s deliverance, — the delight 
with which we shook his hands, again and again, 
and embraced him. It was with considerable 
difficulty that we extricated Peterkin from his 
entanglement. When this was accomplished we 
proceeded to examine our prize. 

We were not a little puzzled on discovering 
that only three bullets had struck the bull. For 
my part I fired straight at its forehead, and had 
felt certain at the time that my shots had taken 
effect ; yet there was but one ball in the animal’s 
head, and that was undoubtedly Peterkin’ s, for 
the hair all round the hole was singed off — so 
near had it been to him when he fired. The 
other two shots were rather wide apart — one in 
the shoulder, the other in the neck. Both would 
have proved mortal in the long run, but neither 
were sufficiently near to a vital spot to kill 
speedily. 

“ Now Ralph, my boy,” said Jack, after our 
excitement was in some degree abated, “ you 
and I must divide the honor of these two shots, 
for I fear we can’t tell which of us fired them. 
Peterkin only fired once, and that was pretty 
effectual.” 

“ Yes,” I replied, “ it is rather perplexing, for 
although I have no objection whatever to your 


56 


OUR FIRST BUFFALO. 


having all the honor of those two shots, ’fetill one 
likes to know with certainty who actually made 
them.” 

u You’d better toss for them,” suggested Peter- 
kin, who was seated on the trunk of a fallen tree, 
examining, with a somewhat rueful countenance, 
the tattered condition of his garment. 

“ There would not be much satisfaction in 
that,” replied Jack, laughing. 

“ It is probable,” said I, “ that each of us hit 
with one barrel, and missed with the other.” 

“ And it is possible,” added Jack, “ that one 
of us hit with both, and the other missed with 
both. All that I can positively affirm is that I 
fired both barrels at his shoulder — one after the 
other.” 

“ And all that I am certain of,” said I, u is, 
that I fired both barrels at his forehead, and* that 
I discharged them both at once.” 

“ Did you ? ” said Peterkin looking up quickly, 
u then, Ralph, I’m afraid that you must give all 
the honor to Jack, for you have missed alto- 
gether.^ 

“ How do you know that ? ” I asked in a some- 
what picqued tone. 

“ Simply enough. If you fired both shots 
together at so short a distance they would have 
been found close together wherever they had 
struck, whereas the two shots in the neck and 
shoulder are more than, two feet apart.” 


A SURPRISING DISCOVERT. 


57 


I was compelled to admit that there was much 
truth in the observation, but still felt unwilling 
to give up all claim to having assisted in slaying 
our first buffalo. I pondered the subject a good 
deal during the remainder of the time we spent 
in cutting up and packing part of the buffalo- 
meat, and in preparing to continue our journey, 
but could come at no satisfactory conclusion in 
my own mind, and to say truth I felt not a little 
crestfallen at my conduct in the whole affair. 

While wandering in this mood near the spot 
where the buffalo had been first wounded, I re- 
ceived a sudden and severe start on observing 
the leopard crouching within a couple of yards 
of me. I saw it through the bushes quite dis- 
tinctly, but could not make quite sure of its 
attitude. With a mingled cry of alarm and as- 
tonishment I sprang back to the place where I 
had left my rifle. 

Jack and Peterkin instantly ran up with their 
pieces cocked. 

“ Where is it ? ” they cried in a breath. 

u There, crouching just behind that bush.” 

Jack darted forward. 

“ Crouching ! ” he cried with a loud laugh, 
seizing the animal by the tail and dragging it 
forth, “ why it’s dead — stone dead.” 

“ Dead as mutton,” said Peterkin, “ Hallo ! 
what’s this ? ” he added in surprise. “ Two holes 
close together in its forehead. I do declare ! 


A LUCKY SHOT. 


68 


Hooray ! Ralph, my boy, give us your paw ! 
You’ve missed the bull and iiit the leopard ! If 
you haven’t been and put two bullets right be- 
tween its two eyes I’m a Dutchman ! ” 

And so, in truth, it turned out. I had aimed 
at the bull and hit the leopard. So I left that 
spot not a little pleased with my bad aim and 
my good fortune. 


PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS. 


59 


CHAPTER IV. 

. WHEREIN WILL BE FOUND MUCH THAT IS 
PHILOSOPHICAL. 

Haying skinned the leopard and cut off as 
much of the buffalo meat as we could carry, we 
started for the Negro village at a round pace,, for 
we had already lost much time in our last ad- 
venture. As we walked along I could not help 
meditating on the uncertainty of this life, and 
the terrible suddenness with which we might at 
any unexpected moment be cut off. These 
thoughts led me naturally to reflect how impor- 
tant a matter it is that every one, no matter how 
young, should be in a state of preparedness to 
quit this world. 

I also reflected, and not without a feeling of 
shame, on my want of nerve, and was deeply 
impressed with the importance of boys being 
inured from childhood to trifling risks and slight 
dangers of every possible description, such as 
tumbling into ponds and off trees, &c., in order 
to strengthen their nervous system. I do not, 
of course, mean to say that boys ought deliber- 
ately to tumble into ponds or climb trees untik 
they fall off ; but they ought not to avoid the 


60 


AD VICE TO BOYS. 


risk of such mishaps ; they ought to encounter 
such risks, and many others, perpetually. They 
ought to practise leaping off heights into deep 
water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a 
stream on a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a 
ducking. They ought never to decline to climb 
up a tree to pull fruit, merely because there is a 
possibility of their falling off and breaking their 
necks. I firmly believe that boys were intended 
to encounter all kinds of risks in order to prepare 
them to meet and grapple with the risks and 
dangers incident to man’s career with cool cau- 
tious self-possession, a self-possession founded 
on experimental knowledge of the character and 
powers of their own spirits and muscles. I also 
concluded that this reasoning applies to some 
extent to girls as well as boys, for they too are 
liable through life to occasional encounters with 
danger — such as meeting with mad bulls ; being 
run away with on horseback; being upset in 
boats ; being set on fire by means of crinoline — 
in all of which cases those who have been trained 
to risk slight mishaps during early life will find 
their nerves equal to the shock and their minds 
cooj and collected enough to look around and 
take hasty advantage of any opportunity of es- 
cape that may exist ; while those who have 
been unhappily nurtured in excessive delicacy, 
•and advised from the earliest childhood to “ take 
care of themselves and carefully avoid all risks,’’ 


ADVICE TO BOYS. 


61 


will probably fall victims to their nervous alarms, 
and the kind but injudicious training of parents 
or guardians. 

The more I pondered this subject the more 
deeply impressed did I become with its great 
importance to the well-being of mankind, and I 
was so profoundly engrossed with it that my 
companions utterly failed to engage me in gen- 
eral conversation »as we walked briskly along 
through the forest. Jack again and again at- 
tempted to draw' my attention to the splendor of 
the curious specimens of tropical foliage and 
vegetation through which we passed but I could 
not rouse myself to take interest therein. In 
vain did Peterkin jest and rally me, and point 
out the monkeys that grinned at us ever and 
anon as we passed beneath them, or the serpents 
that glided more than once from our path. I 
was fascinated with my train of meditation, and 
as I could not then give it up until I had thought 
it out, so now I cannot pass from the subject 
until I have at least endeavored to guard my- 
self from misconception. 

I beg, then, that it will be understood that I 
do not by any means inculcate hair-brained reck- 
lessness, or a course of training that will foster 
that state of mind. On the contrary, the course 
of training which I should like to see universally 
practised would naturally tend to counteract 
recklessness, for it would enable a boy to judge 
6 


62 


ILLUSTRATION. 


correctly as to what he could, and could not do. 
Take an illustration. A naturally bold boy has 
been unwisely trained to be exceedingly careful 
of himself. He does not know the extent of his 
own courage or the power and agility of his own 
muscles — he knows these things to some extent 
indeed, but, owing to restraint, he does not know 
them fully. Hence he is liable both to over and 
under-estimate them. 

This bold boy — we shall call him Tom — takes 
a walk into the country with a friend whom we 
shall name Pat. Pat is a bad boy, but he has 
been permitted to train his muscles as he pleased, 
and his natural disposition has led him to do dif- 
ficult and sometimes slightly dangerous things. 

“ You can’t jump over that river, Tom,” says 
Pat. 

“ Perhaps not,” replies Tom, “ I never tried 
such a jump, because my mother tells me never 
to go where I am likely to tumble into the 
water.” 

“ Oh, your mother’s a muff! ” cried Pat. 

“ Pat,” says Tom, flushing with indignation 
and confronting his friend, “ Don’t you ever say 
that again, else the friendship between you and 
me will come to an end. I know you don’t really 
mean what you say ; but I won’t allow you to 
speak disrespectfully of my mother.” 

“ Well, 1 won’t,” says Pat, “ but you're a muff 
anyhow.” 


ILLUSTRATION. 


63 


“ Perhaps I am,” replies Tom. 

“ Of course you are, because you’re afraid to 
jump over that river, and I’m not. So, here 
goes.” 

Pat thereupon jumps the river (he is a splendid 
leaper), and Tom hesitates. 

“ Come along, Tom. Don’t be a hen.” 

“ Tom gives way, alas ! to a disobedient im- 
pulse and dashing at the leap comes to the edge 
when he finds, somehow, that he has not got the 
proper foot first for the spring — almost every 
boy knows the feeling I allude to — his heart 
fails and he baulks.” 

“ O Tom, what a miminipimini muff you are, 
to be sure.” 

Tom, as I have said, is a bold boy. His blood 
boils at this ; he rushes wildly at the bank, hurls 
himself recklessly into the air; barely reaches 
the opposite side with a scramble and falls souse 
into the river, from which he issues, as Pat says, 
amid peals of laughter, “ like a half-drowned rat.” 

Now, had Tom been permitted to follow the 
bent of his own bold impulses, he would have 
found out, years ago, how far and how high he 
could leap, and how far exactly he could depend 
on his own courage in certain circumstances, and 
he would either, on the one hand, have measured 
the leap with an accustomed eye, and declined 
to take it with good-humored admission that it 
was beyond his powers, or, on the other hand, he 


64 


ILLUSTRATION. 


would calmly have collected his well and oft- 
tried energies for the spring. The proper foot, 
from long experience, would have come to the 
ground at the right time. His mind, freed from 
all anxiety as to what he could accomplish, 
would have received a beneficial impulse from 
his friend’s taunt. No nervous dread of a duck- 
ing would have checked the completeness of his 
bound, because he would have often been ducked 
before, and would have discovered that in most 
cases, if the clothes be changed at once, a duck- 
ing is not worth mentioning — in a hydropathic 
point of view is, in fact, beneficial, — and he 
would have cleared the river with comfort to 
himself and confusion to his friend, and without 
a ducking, or the uneasiness of conscience caused 
by the knowledge that he had disobeyed his 
mother. Had Peterkin not been trained to en- 
counter danger, his natural boldness alone would 
never have enabled him to stand the charge of 
that buffalo bull. 

There are muffs in this world. I do not refer 
to those hairy articles of female apparel in which 
ladies are wont to place their hands, handker- 
chiefs, and scent-bottles. Although not given to 
the use of slang, I avail myself of it on this oc- 
casion, the word “ muff” being eminently expres- 
sive of a certain class of boys, big as well as lit- 
tle, old as well as young. There are three dis- 
tinct classes of boys, namely, muffs, sensible fel- 




MUFFS, ETC. 


65 


lows, and boasters. I say there are three distinct 
classes, but I do not say that every boy belongs 
to one or other of those classes. Those who have 
studied chemistry know that nature’s elements 
are few. Nearly all kinds of matter, and cer- 
tainly all varieties of mind, are composite. 
There are no pure and simple muffs. Most boast- 
ers have a good deal of the muff in them, and 
many muffs are boasters ; while sensible fellows 
are occasionally tinged with a dash of both the 
bad qualities — they are, if I may be allowed to 
coin a word, sensible-boasto-muffers ! Still, for 
the sake of lucidity, I will maintain that there 
are three distinct phases of character in boys. 

The muff is a boy who from natural disposi- 
tion, or early training, or both, is mild, diffident, 
and gentle. So far he is an estimable character. 
"Were this all, he were not a muff. In order to 
deserve that title he must be timid and unenthu- 
siastic. He must refuse to venture any thing 
that will subject him to danger, however slight. 
He must be afraid of a shower of rain ; afraid of 
dogs in general, good and bad alike ; disinclined 
to try bold things ; indifferent about learning to 
swim. He must object to the game called 
u dumps,” because the blows from the balls are * 
sometimes severe, and be a sworn enemy to sin- 
gle-stick, because the whacks are uncommonly 
painful. So feeling and acting, he will, when he 
becomes a man, find himself unable to act in the 


MUFFS, ETC. 


common emergencies of life ; to. protect a lady 
from insolence ; to guard his house from robbery ; 
or to save his own child should it chance to fail 
into the water. The muff is addicted to boast- 
ing sometimes, especially when in the company 
of girls, but when on the play-ground he hangs 
on the skirts of society, and sings very small. 
There are many boys, alas ! who are made muffs 
by injudicious training, who would have grown 
up to be bold manly fellows, had they been 
otherwise treated. There are also many kinds 
of muffs. Some are good-hearted amiable muffs, 
others are petty sneaking muffs. 

With many of the varieties I have a strong 
sympathy, and, for their comfort, I would say 
that muffs may cure themselves if they choose to 
try energetically. 

Courage and cowardice are not two distinct 
and entirely antagonistic qualities. To a great 
extent those qualities are the result of training. 
Every courageous man has a slight amount of 
cowardice in his composition, and all cowards 
have a certain infusion of courage. The Mata- 
dor stands before the infuriated bull and awaits 
its charge with unflinching firmness, not because 
he has more courage than his comrades in the 
ring who run away, but because long training 
•has enabled him to make almost certain of kill- 
ing the bull. He knows what he has done be- 
fore, he feels that he can do it again, therefore 


MUFFS, ETC. 


67 


he stands like a hero. Were a doubt of his ca- 
pacity to cross his mind for an instant, his cheek 
would blanch, his hand would tremble, and, ten 
to one, he would turn and flee like the rest. 

Let muffs, therefore, learn to swim, to leap, 
and to run. Let them wrestle with boys bigger 
than themselves, regardless of being thrown. Let 
them practise “jinking” with their companions, 
so that if even they be chased by a mad bull, 
they will, if unable to get out of his way by run- 
ning, escape perhaps by jinking. Let them learn 
to leap off considerable heights into deep water, 
so that, if ever called on to leap off the end of a 
pier or the side of a ship to save a fellow-crea- 
ture, they may do so with confidence and promp- 
titude. Let them even put on “ the gloves,” and 
become regardless of a swelled nose, in order 
that they may be able to defend themselves or 
others from sudden assault. So doing they will 
become sensible fellows, whose character I have 
thus, to some extent, described. Of course I speak 
of sensible fellows only with reference to this one 
subject of training the nerves and muscles. Let 
it never be forgotten that there are men who, al- 
though sensible in this respect, are uncommonly 
senseless in regard to other things of far higher 
moment. 

As to boasters, I will dismiss them with a few 
words. They are too easily known to merit 
particular description. They are usually loud 


68 


BOASTERS. 


and bold in the drawing-room, but rather mild 
in the field. They are desperately egotistical, 
fond of exaggeration, and prone to depreciate 
the deeds of their comrades. They make bad 
soldiers and sailors, and are usually held in con- 
tempt by others, whatever they may think of 
themselves. I may wind up this digression — 
into which I have been tempted by an earnest 
desire to warn my fellow men against the errors 
of nervous and muscular education, which, in 
my case, led to the weak conduct of which I had 
been guilty that day — I may wind up this di- 
gression, I say, by remarking that the boys who 
are most loved in this world are those who are 
lambs, almost muffs, in the drawing-room, but 
lions in the field. 

How long I should have gone on pondering 
this subject I know not, but Peterkin somewhat 
rudely interrupted me by uttering a wild scream, 
and beginning to caper as if he were a madman. 
I was much alarmed as well as surprised at this 
course of conduct, for although my friend was 
an inveterate joker, he was the very reverse of 
what is termed a buffoon, and never indulged in 
personally grotesque actions with a view to 
make people laugh ; such as making faces, a 
practice which, in ninety-nine cases out of a 
hundred, causes the face-makers to look idiotical 
rather than funny, and induces beholders to pity 
them, and to feel very uncomfortable sensations. 


A TERRIBLE ASSAULT. 


69 


Peterkin’s yells, instead of ceasing, continued 
and increased. 

“ Why, what’s wrong ? ” I cried in much 
alarm. 

Instead of answering, Peterkin darted away 
through the wood like a maniac, tearing off his 
clothes as he went. At the same moment Jack 
began to roar like a bull, and became similarly 
distracted. It now flashed across me that they 
must have been attacked by an army of the 
Bashikouay ant, a species of ant which is so fe- 
rocious as to prove a perfect scourge to the parts 
of the country over which it travels. The thought 
had scarcely occurred to me when I was painfully 
convinced of its accuracy. The ants suddenly 
came to me, and in an instant I was covered 
from head to foot by the passionate creatures 
which bit me so severely that I also began to 
scream and to tear off my garments, for I had 
been told by the trader who accompanied us to 
this part of the country, that this was the quick- 
est method of getting rid of them. 

We all three fled and soon left the army of 
Bashikouay ants behind us, undressing, as we 
ran, in the best way we could, and when we at 
length came to a halt, we found ourselves almost 
in a state of nudity. Hastily divesting ourselves 
of the remainder of our apparel, we assisted each 
other to clear away the ants, though we could 


70 


ARMY OF ANTS. 


not rid ourselves of the painful effects of the 
bites with which we were covered. 

“ What dreadful villains ! ” gasped Peterkin, 
as he busied himself in hastily picking off the 
furious creatures from his person. 

u It would be curious to observe the effect of 
an army of soldiers stepping into an army of 
Bashikouays,” said Jack. u They would be 
routed instantly. No discipline or courage could 
hold them together for two minutes after they 
were attacked.” 

I was about to make some reply, when our 
attention was attracted by a shout at no great 
distance, and in a few seconds we observed, to 
our confusion, the trader and a band of negroes 
approaching us. We hurried on our clothes as 
rapidly as possible, and were a little more pre- 
sentable when they arrived. They had a good 
laugh at us, of course, and the naked blacks 
seemed to be much tickled with the idea that 
we had been compelled to divest ourselves, even 
for a short time, of what they considered our un- 
necessary covering. 

“We thought you were lost,” said the trader, 
“ and I began to blame myself for letting you 
away into the woods, where so many dangers 
may be encountered, without a guide. But what 
have you got there ? meat of some kind ? Your 
guns seem to have done service on this your first 
expedition.” 


MY LUCK. 


71 


“ Ay, that they have,” answered Jack, “ we’ve 
killed a buffalo bull, and if you send your black 
fellows back on our track for some hours they’ll 
come to the carcase, of which we could not, of 
course, bring very much away on our shoulders 
which are not accustomed yet to heavy loads.” 

“ Besides,” added Peterkin, “ we were anxious 
to get back in time for your elephant hunt, else 
we should have brought more meat with us. 
But Jack has not mentioned what I consider our 
chief prize, the honor of shooting which belongs 
to my friend Ralph Rover. Come, Ralph, un- 
fasten your pack and let them see it.” 

Although unwilling to put off more time, I 
threw down my pack, and, untying it, displayed 
my leopard skin. The shout of delight and sur- 
prise which the sight of it drew from the negroes 
was so enthusiastic that I at once perceived I 
was considered to have secured a great prize. 

“ Why, Mr. Rover, you’re in luck,” said the 
trader, examining the skin, “ it’s not every day 
that one falls in with such a fine leopard as that. 
And you have already made a reputation as a 
daring hunter, for the niggers consider it a bold 
and dangerous thing to attack these critters. 
They’re so uncommon fierce.” 

u Indeed, I do not by any means deserve such 
a reputation,” said I, refastening my pack, “ for 
the shot was entirely accidental, so I pray you 
good sir, to let the negroes know that as I have 


72 


I BECOME A HERO. 


no desire to go under a false flag, as my friend 
Peterkin would say — ” 

44 Go under a false flag ! ” exclaimed Peterkin 
in contempt. 44 Sail under false colors, man ! 
That’s what you should have said. Whatever 
you do, Ralph, never misquote a man. Go 
under a false flag ! ha ! ha ! why you might just 
as well have said, 4 progress beneath assumed 
bunting ! 5 ” 

44 Well, accidental or otherwise,” said the 
trader, 44 you’ve got credit for the deed, and your 
fame will be spread among the tribe whether 
you will or not, for these fellows are such incor- 
rigible liars themselves that they will never be- 
lieve you if you tell them the shot was accidental. 
They will only give you credit for some strange 
though unknown motive in telling such a false- 
hood.” 

While the trader was speaking I observed 
that the negroes were talking with the eager 
looks and gesticulations that are peculiar to the 
Africans when excited, and presently two or 
three of them came forward and asked several 
questions, while their eyes sparkled eagerly and 
their black faces shone with animation as they 
pointed into the woods in the direction whence 
we had come. 

44 They want to know where you have left the 
carcase of the leopard, and if you have taken 
away the brains,” said the trader turning to me. 
44 1 dare say you know — if not you’ll sQon come 


VALUE OE BRAINS. 


73 


to find out — that all the nigger tribes in Africa 
are sunk in gross and cruel superstitions. They 
have more fetishes, and greegrees, and amulets, 
and wooden gods, and charms, than they know 
what to do with, and have surrounded themselves 
with spiritual mysteries that neither themselves 
nor anybody else can understand. Among other 
things they attach a very high value to the 
brains of the leopard, because they imagine that 
he who possesses them will be rendered extraor- 
dinarily bold.and successful in hunting. These 
fellows are in hopes that, being ignorant of the 
value of leopard brains, you have left them in 
the carcase, and are burning with anxiety to be 
off after them.” 

“ Poor creatures,” said I, “ they are heartily 
welcome to the brains, and the carcase lies not 
more than four hours march from this spot, I 
should think. Is it not so, Jack ? ” 

My friend nodded assent, and the trader, turn- 
ing to the expectant crowd of natives gave them 
the information they desired. No sooner had he 
finished, than, with loud cries, they turned and 
darted away, tossing their arms wildly in the 
air and looking more like to a band of scared 
monkeys than to human beings.” 

“ They’re queer fellows,” remarked Peterkin. 

“ So they are,” replied the trader, “ and they’re 
kindly fellows, too, — jovial and good-humored, 
except when under the influence of their abomi 
7 


74 


REMARKS ON MISSIONARIES. 


nable superstitions. Then they become incar- 
nate fiends and commit deeds of cruelty that 
make one 9 s blood run cold to think of.” 

I felt much saddened by these remarks, and 
asked the trader if the missionaries accomplished 
any good among them. 

“ Oh, yes,” he replied, u they do much good, 
such of them at least as really are missionaries, 
for it does not follow that every one who wears 
a black coat and white neck-cloth, and goes 
abroad, is a missionary. But what can a few 
men scattered along the coast here and there, 
however earnest they be, do among the thou- 
sands upon thousands of savages that wander 
about in the interior of Africa ? No good will 
ever be done in this land to any great extent, 
until traders and missionaries go hand in hand 
into the interior, and the system of trade is en- 
tirely remodelled.” 

“ From what you remark,” said I, feeling much 
interested, “ I should suppose that you have 
given this subject a good deal of attention.” 

“ I have. But there are people in this world, 
who, supposing that because I am a trader, I 
am therefore prone to exalt trade to an equality 
with religion, do not give me credit for disinter- 
estedness when I speak. Perhaps you are one 
of these.” 

“ Not I, in truth,” said I, earnestly. “ My 
chief desire in conversing with mankind is to 
acquire knowledge, I therefore listen with atten- 


REMARKS ON MISSIONS. 


75 


tion and respect to the opinions of others instead 
of endeavoring to assert my own. In the present 
instance, being ignorant, I have no opinions to 
assert.” 

“ I wish there were more people in your coun- 
try,” replied the trader, “ who felt as you do. I 
would tell them that, although a trader, I regard 
the salvation of men’s souls as the most impor- 
tant work in this world. I would argue that 
until you get men to listen, you cannot preach 
the gospel to them ; that the present system of 
trade in Africa is in itself antagonistic to religion, 
being based upon dishonesty, and that, therefore, 
the natives will not listen to missionaries — of 
course, in some cases they will, for I believe that 
the gospel, when truly preached, is never preached 
in vain — but they will throw every possible im- 
pediment in their way. I would tell them that 
in order to make the path of the missionary 
practicable, the system of trade must be inverted, 
the trader and the missionary must go hand in 
hand, and commerce and religion — although in- 
comparably different in their nature and ends — 
must act the part of brother and sister if any 
thing great is to be done for the/poor natives of 
Africa.” 

Conversing thus we beguiled the time pleas- 
antly, while we proceeded rapidly on our way, 
for the day was drawing to a close, and we were 
still at a considerable distance from the native 
village. 


76 


PREPARATIONS. 


CHAPTER V. 

PREPARATIONS FOR A GRAND HUNT. 

All was bustle, noise, and activity in the vil- 
lage, or, more correctly speaking, in the native 
town of His Majesty King Jambai, early in the 
morning after our arrival. A great elephant hunt 
had been resolved on. The hunters were brush- 
ing up their spears and old guns — all of which 
latter were flint locks that had been procured from 
traders, and were not worth more than a few 
shillings. The women were busy preparing 
breakfast, and the children were playing around 
their huts. 

These huts were of the simplest construction 
• — made of bamboo, roofed with large palm- 
leaves, and open in front. The wants of savages 
are generally few; their household furniture is 
very plain, and there is little of it. A large hut 
near to that of his sable majesty had been set 
apart for the trader and his party during our res- 
idence at the town. In this we had spent the 
night as pleasantly as we could, but the mosqui- 
toes kept up an unceasing warfare upon us, so 
that daylight was welcomed gladly when it came. 

On going to the hut of King Jambai, who had 


NATIVE PRINCESS. 


77 


invited us to breakfast with him, we found the 
Princess Oninga alone seated in the king’s arm- 
chair and smoking her pipe with uncommon 
gusto. She had spent the early part of the morn- 
ing in preparing breakfast for her father and our- 
selves, and was now resting from her labors. 

“ You are early astir, Princess Oninga,” said 
the trader as we entered and took our seats round 
the fire, for at that hour the air felt chilly. 

The princess took her pipe from her lips and 
admitted that she was, blowing a long thin 
cloud of smoke into the air with a sigh of satis- 
faction. 

“ We are ready for breakfast,” added the tra- 
der. “ Is the king at home ? ” 

“ He is in the woods, but will be back quickly.” 
With this remark the princess rose, and knock- 
ing the ashes out of her pipe, left the tent. 

“ Upon my word, she’s a cool beauty,” said 
Peterkin. 

“ I should rather say a black one,” remarked 
Jack. 

“ Perhaps an odd one would be the most ap- 
propriate term,” said I. “ Did you ever see such 
a headdress ? ” 

The manner in which the Princess Oningo 
had seen fit to dress her head was indeed pecu- 
liar, I may say ludicrous. Her woolly hair had 
been arranged in the form of a cocked hat, with 
a horn projecting in front, and at a short distance 
7 * 


78 


INTERPRETER WANTED. 


off it might easily have been mistaken for the 
headpiece of a general officer minus the feathers. 
There was little in the way of artificial ornament 
about it, but the princess wore a number of heavy 
brass rings on her arms and ankles. Those on 
the latter reached half way up to her knees, and 
they were so heavy that her walk was little bet- 
ter than a clumsy waddle. Before we could 
pass further comment on her appearance, King 
Jambai entered and saluted us by taking us each 
separately and rubbing noses with us. This 
done he ordered in breakfast, which consisted of 
roast and boiled plantains, ground-nuts, roast 
fowl, and roast pig, so we fell to at once, and, 
being exceedingly hungry after our long walk of 
the day before, made a hearty meal. 

“ Now, sir,” said Jack, when our repast was 
about concluded, “ as you are going to leave us 
soon, you had better arrange with the king about 
getting us an interpreter and supplying us with 
a few men to carry our goods. I think you said 
there was once a man in the tribe who spoke a 
little English. Have you found out whether he 
is alive ? ” 

u Yes, I have heard that he is alive and well, 
and is expected in every day from a hunting ex- 
pedition. He is a splendid hunter and a capital 
fellow. His name is Makarooroo, and if you get 
him you will be fortunate.” 

11 Then ask his black majesty,” said Peterkin, 


KING JAMBAI. 


79 


u as quick as you please, for to say truth, Fra 
rather anxious on this point, I feel that we 
should never get on without a good interpreter.” 

To our satisfaction we found that the king 
was quite willing to do all that we wished and a 
great deal more. In fact we soon perceived that 
he felt highly honored by our visit, and had 
boasted not a little of “ his white men” to the 
chiefs of neighboring tribes, some of whom had 
come a considerable distance to see us. 

“ You have made quite a conquest, gentlemen, 
of worthy Jambai,” said the trader, after trans- 
lating the king’s favorable reply. “ The fact is 
he is pleased with the liberality you have shown 
toward him in the way of gifts, and is proud of 
the confidence you have placed in him. Had 
you been bent on a trading expedition he would 
have opposed your further progress, but knowing 
that you are simply hunters he is anxious to as- 
sist you by all the means at his command. He is 
surprised, indeed, at your taking so much trou- 
ble and coming so far merely to kill wild ani- 
mals, for he cannot understand the idea of sport- 
ing. He himself hunts for the sake of procuring 
meat.” 

u Can he not understand,” said Peterkin, that 
we hunt for fun ? ” 

“ No, he don’t quite see through that. He 
said to me, a few minutes ago, ‘ Have these men 
no meat at home that they come all this long 


80 


START FOR A HUNT. 


way to get it ? ’ I told him that you had plenty, 
and then endeavored to explain your idea of 
hunting 4 for fun.’ But he shook his head, and I 
think he does not believe you.” 

At this point in our conversation the king rose 
and gave the signal to set out on the hunting 
expedition. Instantly the whole population of 
the town turned out and rushed to the banks of 
the river, near which it stood, where canoes were 
prepared for us. Suddenly there arose a great 
shout, and the name, 44 Mak^rooroo, Makaroo- 
roo,” passed from mouth to mouth. Presently a 
fine tall deep-chested and broad-shouldered negro 
stepped up to the king and laid a leopard s kin 
at his feet, while the people shouted and danced 
with delight at the success of their companion ; 
for, as I have already stated, it is deemed a bold 
feat to attack and slay a leopard single-handed. 

While the commotion caused by this event 
was going on, I said to the trader, — 

44 How comes it that Makarooroo can speak 
English?” 

44 He spent a couple of years on the coast, in 
the service of a missionary, and during that time 
attended the missionary school, where he picked 
up a smattering of English and a trifle of geog- 
raphy and arithmetic; but although a stout, 
sturdy hunter, and an intelligent man, he was a 
lazy student, and gave the missionary much 
trouble to hammer the little he knows into his 


OUR INTERPRETER. 


81 


thick skull. At last he grew tired of it, and re- 
turned to his tribe; but he brought his Bible 
with him, and I am told is very diligent in the 
study of it. His education has gained for him a 
great reputation as a fetish-man, or doctor of 
mysteries, among his people. I used often to see 
him at school hammering away at m-a, ma — 
b-a, ba, and so on, amid a group of children. He 
used to sit beside the king — ” 

44 The king ! ” said I, in surprise. 

44 Ay ; the king of that district became a Chris- 
tian, and he and the queen, with one or two 
others of the royal household, used to attend 
school with the children every day, and their 
diligence in studying the ABC was beyond all 
praise, but they were terribly stupid. The chil- 
dren beat them easily, showing how true is the 
saying that 4 youth is the time to learn.’ The 
king was always booby, and Makarooroo was 
always beside him.” 

As the trader spoke, Makarooroo came for- 
ward and sho*ok hands with hirq in the English 
fashion. He was then introduced to us, and ex- 
pressed his willingnesss to become our inter- 
preter in somewhat curious but quite comprehen- 
sible English. As I looked at his intelligent, 
good-natured countenance, I could not help think- 
ing that the trader had underrated his intellectual 
powers. 

44 He’s a funny dog that Makarooroo,” said 


82 


OUR INTERPRETER. 


Peterkin, as our interpreter hastened away to 
fetch his rusty old gun and spears, for he meant 
to join our hunting expedition, although he had 
only that moment arrived from a long and fa- 
tiguing chase. 

“ Do you think so ? ” said Jack. 

“ I don’t agree with you,” said I ; “ to me he 
seems rather of a grave and quiet disposition.” 

“ O Ralph ! what a bat you are. He was 
grave enough just now, truly; but did you not 
observe the twinkle in his eye when he spoke to 
us in English ? Depend on it he’s a funny dog.” 

w There must be free-masonry, then, among 
funny dogs,” I retorted, “ for Jack and I don’t 
perceive it.” 

“ Is this our canoe ? ” inquired Jack of the 
trader. 

“ It is.” 

u Then let’s jump in.” 

In a few seconds the river was crowded with 
a fleet of small canoes, and we all paddled 
quickly up the stream, which was sluggish at 
that part. We did not intend to proceed more 
than a few miles by water, as the place where 
game was expected was at some distance from 
the river. I felt some regret at this, for the trip 
up the river was to me most enchanting. 

Every yard we advanced, new beauties of 
scenery were revealed to view. The richness of 
the tropical vegetation seemed in this place to 


THE RIVER. 


83 


culminate, it was so rank and gorgeous. The 
day was fine, too, and all the strange-looking 
creatures — ugly and beautiful, large and small — 
peculiar to those regions, seemed to have resolved 
on a general peace in order to bask in the sun- 
shine, and enjoy the glorious weather. Man 
alone was bent on war, and our track, alas ! was 
marked with blood wherever we passed along. 
I pondered much on this subject, and wondered 
at the blood-thirsty spirit which seems to be nat- 
ural to man in all conditions and climes. Then 
I thought of the difficulty these poor Africans 
have at times in procuring food, the frequency 
with which they are reduced almost to a state 
of starvation, and I ceased to wonder that they 
shot and speared every thing that came in their 
way. 

We proceeded up the left bank of the river, 
keeping close into the shore in order to obtain 
the protection of the overhanging boughs and 
foliage, for the sun soon began to grow hot, and 
in the middle of the day became so intense that 
I sometimes feared that I or my companions 
would receive a sun-stroke. I confess thafc the 
subject of health often caused me much anxiety, 
for although I knew that we were all old experi- 
enced travellers — though young in years — and 
had become in a great degree inured to hard- 
ships, I feared that the deadly climate of Central 
Africa might prove too much for our European 


84 


HEALTH. 


constitutions. By the free use of quinine, how- 
ever, and careful attention to the rules of health 
as far as circumstances would permit, we were 
fortunate enough to keep in excellent health and 
spirits during the whole course of our sojourn 
there ; for which — r when I thought of the hun- 
dreds of Europeans who had perished on that 
deadly coast without even venturing into the in- 
terior — I felt very thankful. One of our chief 
delights, to which I in a great degree attribute 
our uninterrupted health, was bathing daily in 
the streams and ponds with which we fell in, or 
on which we paddled during our travels. On 
these occasions we were fain, however, to be ex- 
ceeding careful in the selection of our bathing 
pool, as crocodiles and alligators, and I know 
not what other hideous animals were constantly 
on the look-out for prey, and, I make no doubt, 
would have been very ready to try the flavor of 
a morsel of English food had we given them the 
chance. 

On these occasions, when we had made sure 
of our pool, we were wont to paddle about in 
the $ool refreshing stream, and recall to mind 
the splendid dips we had had together six years 
before in the clear waters of the coral island. 
Since that time Peterkin had learned to swim 
well, which was not only a source of much sat- 
isfaction and gratification to himself now, but, 
he told me, had been the means of preserving 


REMARKS ON SWIMMING. 


85 


not only his own life on more than one occasion, 
but the life of a little child which he had the 
good fortune to rescue from drowning when 
cruising off the Island of Madagascar. 

Peterkin used to speak very strongly when 
talking on this subject, and I observed from the 
unusual seriousness of his manner that he felt 
deeply too. 

“ Ralph, : ” he said to me one day, “ half the 
world is mad — I am not sure that I might not 
say three quarters of the world is mad — and 
Pm quite certain that all the ladies in the world 
are mad, with the exception of the brown ladies 
of the South Seas, and a few rare specimens 
elsewhere — they’re all mad together in reference 
to the matter of swimming. Now that I have 
learned it nothing is so easy, and any one who 
is not as blind as a rheumatic owl must see that 
nothing is more important, for every one almost 
is subject to being pitched now and then into 
deep water, and if he can’t swim it’s all up with 
him. Why, every time an angler goes out to 
fish he runs the chance of slipping and being 
swept into a deep hole, where, if he cannot 
swim, he is certain to be drowned. And yet 
five strokes would save his life. Good swim- 
ming is by no means what is wanted ; swim- 
ming of any kind, however poor, is all that is 
desiderated. Every time a lady goes to have a 
row on a lake she is liable to be upset by the 


86 


REMARKS ON SWIMMING. 


clumsiness of those who accompany her, and 
although it may be close to shore, if she cannot 
swim down she goes to the bottom. And float - 
ing won’t do. Some ladies delude themselves 
with the idea that floating is of great value. In 
nine cases out of ten it is of no value at all, for 
unless water be perfectly smooth and still, a per- 
son cannot float so as to keep the waves from 
washing over the face, in which case choking is 
the certain result. There is no excuse for not 
learning to swim. In most large cities there are 
swimming baths ; if the sea is not available a 
river is, everywhere. I tell you what it is, Ralph, 
people who don’t learn to swim are — are — I 
was going to say asses, but that would be an in- 
sult to the much maligned long-eared animal — 
and parents who don’t teach their offspring to 
swim, deserve to be drowned in butter-milk, and 
I wish I saw — no, I don't quite wish I saw them 
all drowned in that way, but I do wish that I 
could impress upon mankind over the length 
and breadth of this rotund world the great, the 
immense, the intense importance of boys and 
girls being taught to swim.” 

“ You make use of strong language,” said I. 

“ Quite a powerful orator,” added Jack, laugh- 
ing. 

“ Bah ! ” exclaimed Peterkin, “ your reception 
of this grand truth is but a type of the manner 
in which it will be received by the pig-headed 


PETERKIN ON THE TIMES. 


87 


world. What’s the use of preaching common 
sense ? I’m a perfect donkey ! ” 

“ Nay, Peterkin,” said Jack, “ I appreciate 
what you say, and have no doubt whatever that 
your remarks, if made public, would create quite 
a revolution in the juvenile world, and convert 
them speedily into aquatic animals. Did you 
ever think of sending your views on that subject 
to the Times ? ” 

u The Times ! ” cried Peterkin. 

“ Yes, the Times ; why not ? ” 

“ Because,” said Peterkin slowly, “ I once sent 
a letter to that great but insolent periodical, and 
what do you think it did ? ” 

“ Can’t tell, I’m sure.” 

“ Took no notice of it whatever ! ” said Peter- 
kin, with a look of ineffable disgust. 

But to return from this digression. I was 
much struck with the splendid contrast of colors 
that met my eye everywhere here. The rich 
variety of greens in the different trees harmonized 
with the bright pink plums and scarlet berries, 
and these latter were almost dimmed in their 
lustre by the bright plumage of the birds which 
I felt intense longing to procure, many of them 
being quite new to me, and, I am certain, totally 
unknown to naturalists, while others I recognized 
with delight as belonging to several of the spe- 
cies of which I had read in ornithological works. 

1 tried hard to shoot several of these lovely crea- 


88 


BIRD SHOOTING. 


tures, intending to stuff them, but, to my regret, 
was utterly unable to hit them. Seeing this, 
Peterkin took pity on me. and sitting down in 
the bow of our canoe, picked off all the birds I 
pointed out to him as we passed, with unerring 
precision. Most of them fell into the water and 
were easily secured, while one or two toppled 
off’ the branches into the canoe. Several of 
them he shot on the wing, a feat which even 
filled Jack with surprise, and so astounded the 
natives that they surrounded our canoe at last, 
and gazed open-mouthed at my friend, whom 
they evidently regarded as the greatest fetish- 
man that had ever come amongst them. 

He was obliged to stop at last and lay down 
his gun in order to make the natives cease from 
crowding round us and delaying our voyage. A 
number of i guanos were observed on the branches 
of the trees that overhung the stream. They 
dropped into the water as we approached, but 
the natives succeeded in spearing a good many, 
and I afterwards found that they considered them 
excellent food. 

If I was charmed with the birds, Peterkin was 
no less delighted with the monkeys that chat- 
tered at us as we passed along. I never saw a 
man laugh as he did that day. He almost be- 
came hysterical, so much was he tickled with 
their antics, and the natives, who have a keen 
sense of the ludicrous, seemed quite to sympa- 


PELICANS. 


89 


thize with his spirit, although, of course, what 
amused him, could not have similarly affected 
them, seeing that they were used to monkeys 
from infancy. 

“ There’s something new ! ” exclaimed Jack, 
as we rounded a bend in the river and came in 
view of an open flat where it assumed somewhat 
the aspect of a pond or small lake. He pointed 
to a flock of birds standing on a low rock, which 
I instantly recognized to be pelicans. 

“ Surely,” said I, u pelicans are not new to 
you ! ” 

“ Certainly not ; but if you look a little more 
attentively I think you will find material for your 
note-book.” 

Jack was right. I observed a very fine fish- 
hawk circling over the head of one of the peli- 
cans. Its head and neck were white, and its 
body was of a reddish chocolate color. Just as 
we came in sight, the pelican caught a fine fish 
which it stowed away safe in the pouch under 
its chin. The sly hawk which had been watch- 
ing for this, immediately made a descent towards 
its victim, making a considerable noise with its 
wings as it came down. Hearing this, the peli- 
can looked hastily up, and, supposing that a ter- 
rible and deadly assault was about to be made, 
opened its mouth and screamed in terror. This 
was just what the hawk wanted. The open bill 
revealed the fish in the pouch. Down he swooped, 


90 


A VILE THIEF. 


snatched it out. and then soared away with his 
ill-gotten gains in his talons ! 

« Oh, what a thief ! ” exclaimed Peterkin. 

“ And the pelican seems to take his loss in a 
remarkably philosophical manner,” observed Jack. 

To my surprise the great stupid bird, instead 
of flying away, as I had expected, quietly re- 
sumed his fishing as if nothing had happened. 
No doubt he was well pleased to find himself 
still alive, and it is not improbable that the hawk 
made several more meals at the expense of his 
long-beaked friend after we had passed by. 

We soon put him to flight, however, by land- 
ing near the spot where he stood, this being the 
place where we were to quit our canoes and pass 
through the jungle on foot. The hunters now 
prepared themselves for action, for the recent 
tracks of elephants were seen on the banks of 
the stream, and the natives said they could not 
be far off. Jack and Peterkin were armed with 
immensely heavy rifles, which carried balls of 
the weight of six ounces. I carried my trusty 
double-barrelled fowling-piece, which is of the 
largest size, and which I preferred to a rifle, be- 
cause, not being a good shot, I resolved, on all 
occasions, to reserve my fire until we should 
come to close quarters with game, leaving my 
more expert comrades to take the longer shots. 
We had also two natives, — one being our guide, 
Makarooroo, who carried Jack and Peterkin’s 


PREPARATIONS FOR THE HUNT. 


91 


double-barrelled guns as a reserve. These were 
loaded, of course; with ball. 

“ This looks something like business,” said 
Jack, as he leaned on his heavy rifle and looked 
at the. natives who were selecting their spears, 
and otherwise making preparations. 

“ It does,” replied Peterkin, “ are you loaded? ” 

“ Ay, and I have just examined the caps to see 
that they are dry, for it’s not like grouse shoot- 
ing on the Scottish hills this African hunting, 
depend upon it. A snapping cap might cost us 
our lives. Ralph, my boy, you must keep well 
in rear. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but 
it won’t do to go in front when you cannot de- 
pend on your nerves.” 

I experienced a feeling of sadness not unmin- 
gled with shame as my friend said this, but I 
could not question the justness of his remark, 
and I knew well that he would not have made 
it at all, but for his anxiety lest I should run 
recklessly into danger, which I might find my- 
self, when too late, unable to cope with. I was 
careful, however, to conceal my feelings, as I re- 
plied with a smile, — 

“ You are right, Jack, I shall act the part of a 
support, while you and Peterkin skirmish in ad- 
vance.” 

“ And be careful,” said Peterkin, solemnly, 
“ that you don’t fire into us by mistake.” 

Somewhat of Peterkin’s own spirit came over 


92 


THE ELEPHANT HUNT. 


me, as I replied, u Indeed, I have been thinking 
of that, and I’m not so sure that I can restrain 
myself when I see a chimpanzee monkey and a 
gorilla walking through the woods before me.” 

“ I think we’d better take his gun from him,” 
suggested Jack. 

At this moment the king gave the signal to 
advance, so we shouldered our weapons and 
joined him. As we walked rapidly along, Jack 
suggested that we should allow the natives to 
kill any elephants we might fall in with in their 
own way, so as to observe how they managed 
it, rather than try to push ourselves forward on 
this our first expedition. We all agreed to this, 
and, shortly after, we came to the place which 
elephants were known to frequent. 

Here great preparations had evidently been 
made for them. A space of more than a mile 
was partially enclosed by what might be termed 
a vine wall. The huge, thorny, creeping vines 
had been torn down from the trees and woven 
into a rude sort of net-work, through which it 
was almost impossible for any animal except an 
elephant to break. This was intended ; not to 
stop the elephant altogether, but, to entangle 
and retard him in his flight, until the hunters 
could kill him with their spears. The work, we 
were given to understand, was attended with 
considerable danger, for some of the natives were 
occasionally caught by the thorny vines when 


THE ELEPHANT HUNT. 


93 


flying from the charge of the infuriated animal, 
and were instantly stamped to death by his pon- 
derous feet. 

I felt a new and powerful excitement creep 
over me as I saw the natives extend themselves 
in a wide semicircle of nearly tw6 miles extent, 
and begin to advance with loud shouts and cries 
in order to drive the game toward the vines, and 
the flashing eyes and compressed lips of my two 
companions showed that they were similarly af- 
fected. We determined to keep together and 
follow close on that part of the line where the 
king was. 

“ You no be ’fraid,” said Makarooroo, looking 
down at Peterkin, who, he evidently supposed, 
was neither mentally nor physically adapted for 
an African hunter. 

Peterkin was so tickled with the question that 
he suddenly began to tremble like an aspen leaf, 
and to chatter with his teeth and display all the 
symptoms of abject terror. Pointing over Maka- 
rooroo’s shoulder into the bush behind him, he 
gasped, “ The leopard ! ” 

The negro uttered a hideous yell, and, spring- 
ing nearly his own height into the air, darted be- 
hind a tree with the agility of a wild-cat. 

Instantly Peterkin resumed his composure, 
and, turning round with a look of cool surprise, 
said, — 

“ What ! you’re not afraid, Makarooroo ? ” 


94 


THE ELEPHANT HUNT. 


The good-humored fellow burst into a loud 
laugh on perceiving the practical joke that had 
been passed on him, and it was evident that the 
incident, trifling though it was, had suddenly 
raised his estimation of Peterkin to a very exalted 
pitch. 

We now began to draw near to the enclosure, 
and I was beginning to fear that our hunt was to 
prove unsuccessful that day. A considerable 
quantity of small game had passed us, alarmed 
by the cries of the natives, but we purposely 
withheld our fire, although I saw that Jack was 
sorely tempted once or twice, when several beau- 
tiful gazelles, and one or two wild pigs ran past 
within shot. Presently we heard a shrill trum- 
peting sound, which Peterkin, who had hunted 
in the forests of Ceylon, told us, in an excited 
voice, was the cry of the elephant. We hastened 
forward with our utmost speed, when suddenly 
we were brought to a stand, by hearing a tremen- 
dous roar close in front of us. Immediately after, 
a large male lion bounded from among the bushes, 
and, with one stroke of his enormous paw, struck 
down a negro, who stood not twenty yards from 
us. The terrible brute stood for an instant or 
two, lashing his sides with his tail and glaring 
defiance. It chanced that I happened to be near- 
est to him, and that the position of the tangled 
underwood prevented my companions from tak- 
ing good aim, so without waiting for them, be- 


ADVENTURE WITH A LION. 


95 


ing anxious to save, if possible, the life of the 
prostrate negro, I fired both barrels into the lion’s 
side. Giving utterance to another terrible roar, 
he bounded away into the bush, scattering the 
negroes who came in his way, and made his 
escape, to our great disappointment. 

We found, to our horror; on going up to the 
fallen hunter, that he was quite dead. His skull 
had been literally smashed in, as if it had re- 
ceived a blow from a sledge hammer. 

I cannot describe my feelings on beholding, 
thus, for the first time, the king of beasts in all 
the savage majesty of strength and freedom, 
coupled with the terrible death of a human being. 
My brain was in a whirl of excitement, I scarce 
knew what I was doing. But I had no time to 
think, for, almost immediately after firing the 
shots at the lion, two elephants came crashing 
through the bushes. One was between ten and 
eleven feet high, the other could not have been 
less than twelve feet. I had never seen any 
thing like this in the menageries of England, 
and their appearance, as they burst thus sud- 
denly on my vision, was something absolutely 
appalling. 

Those who have only seen the comparatively 
small and sluggish animals that are wont to ring 
their bells to attract attention, and to feed on 
gingerbread nuts from the hands of little boys, 
can form no idea of the terrible appearance of 


96 


ELEPHANT HUNTING. 


the gigantic monsters of Africa as they go tear- 
ing in mad fury through the forests with their 
enormous ears, and tails, and trunks erect, their 
ponderous tusks glistening in the sunshine, and 
their wicked little eyes flashing like balls of fire 
as they knock* down, rend asunder, and overturn 
all that comes in their way. 

The two that now approached us in full career 
were flying before a crowd of negroes who had 
already fixed a number of spears in their sides, 
from which the blood was flowing copiously. 
To say that the bushes went down before them 
like grass, would not give a correct idea of the 
ponderous rush of these creatures. Trees of 
three and four inches diameter were run against 
and snapt off like twigs, without proving in any 
degree obstructive. 

.By this time the negroes had crowded in from 
all sides, and, as the elephants approached the 
place where we stood, a perfect cloud of spears 
and javelins descended on their devoted sides. 
I observed that many of the active natives had 
leaped up into the trees and discharged their 
spears from above, while others, crouching behind 
fallen trees or bushes, threw them from below, so 
that, in a few seconds, dozens of spears entered 
their bodies at every conceivable angle, and they 
appeared as if suddenly transformed into mon- 
strous porcupines or hedge-hogs. There was 
something almost ludicrous in this, but the mag- 

























































* - 


' t, 






















- 











ELEPHANT HUNTING. 


97 


nitude and aspect of the animals were too terri- 
ble, and our danger was too imminent, to permit 
any thing like comic ideas to enter our brains. 
I observed, too, that the natives .were perfectly 
wild with excitement. Their black faces worked 
convulsively, and their white eyes and teeth glit- 
tered as they leaped and darted about in a state 
of almost perfect nudity, so that their aspect was 
quite demoniacal. 

The suddenness and violence of the attack 
made near to us had the effect of turning the 
elephants aside, and the next instant they were 
tearing and wrenching themselves through the 
meshes of the tough and thorny vines. The na- 
tives closed in with wild cries and with redoubled 
energy. Nothing surprised me so much as to 
observe the incredible number of spears that 
were sticking all over these creatures, and the 
amount of blood that they lost, without any ap- 
parent diminution of strength resulting. It 
seemed as if no human power could kill them, 
and, at that moment, I almost doubted Peterkin’s 
assertion that he had, while in Ceylon, actually 
killed elephants with a single ball. 

While Jack, and Peterkin, and I were gazing 
in deep interest and surprise at the curious strug- 
gle going on before us, and holding ourselves in 
readiness to act should there be any chance of 
our game escaping, the larger of the two ele- 
phants succeeded in disentangling himself by 

9 


98 


ELEPHANT HUNTING. 


backing out of the snare. He then wheeled 
round and charged straight at King Jambai, who 
stood close to us, with incredible fury. The 
beast, as it came on with the bristling spears all 
over it, the blood spirting from its innumerable 
wounds, and trumpeting shrill with rage, seemed 
to me like some huge unearthly phantom. It 
was with difficulty I could believe the whole 
scene other than a hideous dream. Jambai 
launched his javelin into the animal’s chest and 
then turned and fled. The other natives also 
darted and scattered hither and thither, so that 
the elephant could not make up its mind on 
which of its enemies to wreak its vengeance. 
‘We, too, turned and took to our heels at once 
with right good will. All at once I heard Jack 
utter a wild shout or yell, very unlike to any 
thing I ever heard from him before. I looked 
back and saw that his foot had got entangled in 
a thorny shrub, and that the elephant was making 
at him. 

To this day I have never been able to account 
for the remarkable condition of mind and body 
that ensued on this occasion. Instead of being 
paralyzed as I had been when Peterkin was in 
imminent danger, all sensation of fear or hesi- 
tancy seemed to vanish on the instant. I felt 
my nerves and muscles strung, as it were, and 
rendered firm as a rock, and with calm delibera- 
tion, yet with the utmost rapidity of which I was 


JACK IN DANGER. 


99 


capable, I turned round, sprang between Jack 
and the enraged beast, and presented my piece 
at his head. 

M Bight in the centre of his forehead,” gasped 
Jack, as he endeavored to wrench his foot from 
the entanglement. 

At that moment I observed Peterkin leap to 
my side, the next instant the report of both our 
guns rang through the woods, the elephant 
bounded completely over Jack, as Peterkin and 
I leaped to either side to let it pass, and fell to 
the ground with such violence that a tree, about 
six inches thick against which it struck, went 
down before it like a willow wand. 

We immediately assisted Jack to extricate 
himself, but we had no time to congratulate our- 
selves on our narrow escape, for mingled shouts 
and yells from the men in the bushes ahead, ap- 
prised us that some new danger menaced them 
in that direction. 

Re-loading as fast as we could, we hastened 
forward and soon gained the new scene of bat- 
tle. Here stood the other elephant trying to 
break down a small tree up which King Jambai 
had climbed, partly for safety and partly in order 
to dart a javelin down on the brute as it passed. 

This was a common custom of the natives, but 
the king, who was a bold reckless man, had neg- 
lected to take the very necessary precaution of 
selecting a strong tree. The elephant seemed 


0 


100 


THE KING TREED. 


actually to have observed this, for, instead of 
passing on, it suddenly rushed headlong against 
the tree and began to break it down. When we 
came up the beast was heaving and straining 
with all its might, the stout tree was cracking 
and rending fearfully, so that the king could 
scarcely retain his position on it. The natives 
were plying their spears with the utmost vigor, 
but, although mortally wounded, it was evident 
that in a few more seconds, the elephant would 
succeed in throwing down the tree and trample 
the king to death. 

Peterkin instantly sprang forward, but Jack 
laid his hand on his shoulder. 

“ IPs my turn this time, lad,” he cried, and, 
leaping toward the monster, he placed the muz- 
zle of his rifle close to its shoulder and sent a 
six ounce ball right through its heart. 

The effect was instantaneous. The elephant 
fell to the ground, a mountain of dead flesh. 

The delight of the negroes at this happy ter- 
mination of the battle was excessive. They 
leaped, and laughed, and danced like insane 
men, and we had much ado to prevent them 
seizing us in their arms and rubbing noses with 
us. 

As we had not commenced the hunt until 
well on in the day, evening was now closing in, 
so the king gave orders to encamp on a dry 
rising ground not far distant, where the jungle 


THE ELEPHANT KILLED. 


101 


was less dense, and thither we all repaired, the 
na-tives bringing in all the game, and cutting up 
the elephants in a very short space of time. 

u Your shot was not such a bad one this time, 
Ralph,” observed Peterkin, as we three stood 
looking at the large elephant which the natives 
were cutting up. “ There they are, just above 
the proboscis ; but let me warn you never again 
to venture on such a foolhardy thing as to fire in 
the face of a charging elephant unless you are a 
dead shot.” 

“ Thank you, Peterkin, for your advice, which, 
however, I will not take when a comrade’s life 
may depend on my doing so.” 

“ I give you full credit for the excellence of 
your intention,” rejoined my friend, “ but if Jack’s 
life had depended on those two shots from your 
double-barrel, he would have been but a dead 
man now. There is only one vulnerable spot in 
the front of an elephant’s head ; that is, exactly 
in the centre of the forehead. The spot is not 
bigger than a saucer, and the bone is compara- 
tively thin there. If you cannot make sure of 
hitting that, you simply face certain death. I 
would not have tried it on any account what- 
ever, had I not seen that both you and Jack 
would have been killed had I not done so.” 

On examination we found that the heavy ball 
from Peterkin’s rifle had indeed penetrated the 
exact spot referred to, and had been the means 


102 


NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. 


of killing the elephant, while my two bullets 
were found imbedded in the bone. 

The tusks of this animal were magnificent. I 
do not know what their exact weight was, not 
having the means wherewith to weigh them. 
They were probably worth a considerable sum 
of money in the British market. Of course we 
did not lay claim to any part of the spoil of that 
day, with the exception of a few of the beautiful 
birds shot on the voyage up the river, which were 
of no value to the natives, although priceless to 
me. Alas ! when I came to examine them next 
morning, I found that those destructive creatures, 
the white ants, had totally destroyed the greater 
part of them, and the few that were worth stuff- 
ing were very much damaged. 

Experience is a good, though sometimes a se- 
vere, teacher. Never again did I, after that, put 
off the stuffing of any valuable creature till the 
next day. I always stuffed it in the evening of - 
the day on which it was killed, and thus, although 
the practice cost me many a sleepless, night, I 
preserved, and ultimately brought home, many 
specimens of rare and beautiful birds and beasts, 
which would otherwise have been destroyed by 
those rapacious insects. 

That night the scene of our camp was inde- 
scribably romantic and wild. Numerous huge 
fires were lighted, and round these the negroes 
circled and cooked elephant and venison steaks. 


NIGHT ENCAMPMENT.. 


103 


while they talked over the events of the day or 
recounted the adventures of former hunts with 
noisy volubility and gesticulation. 

The negro has a particular love for a fire. 
The nights in his warm climate are chill to him, 
though not so to Europeans, and he luxuriates 
in the heat of a fire as a cat does in the rays of 
the sun. The warm blaze seems to draw out 
his whole soul and causes his eyes to sparkle 
with delight. A good sapper and a warm fire 
renders him almost perfectly happy. There is 
but one thing wanting to render him supremely 
so, and that is — a pipe ! No doubt, under simi- 
lar circumstance, the white man also is in a state 
of enviable felicity, but he does not show his joy 
like the negro, who seems to forget his cares and 
sorrows, the miseries which his gross supersti- 
tions entail on him, the frequency with which he 
is exposed to sudden destruction, every thing, in 
* short, is forgotten save the present, and he en- 
joys himself with unmitigated fervor. 

It really did my heart good as I sat with my 
comrades beside our fire and looked around me 
on their happy faces which were rendered still 
happier by the gift from us of a small quantity 
of tobacco with which we had taken care to pro- 
vide ourselves for this very purpose. 

I could scarcely believe that the jovial, kindly, 
hearty fellows were the very men who are well 
known to be such cruel blood-thirsty fiends when 


104 


.NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. 


under the influence of their dreadful superstitions, 
and who, but a few hours before, had been dart- 
ing through the woods, besmeared with blood, 
and yelling like maniacs or demons. In fact the 
whole scene before me, and the day’s proceed- 
ings, seemed to me, at that time, like a vivid 
dream, instead of a reality. Moreover, after I 
lay down, the reality became a dream, and I 
spent that night, as I had spent the day, shooting 
gazelles, lions, wild pigs, and elephants in imag- 
ination. 


peterkin’s eccentricities. 


105 


CHAPTER VI. 

DREAMING, AND FEEDING, AND BLOODY WORK 
ENLARGED UPON. 

The first object of which my senses became 
cognizant on awaking next morning was my 
friend Peterkin, who had evidently awakened 
just a moment or two before me, for he was in 
the act of yawning and rubbing his eyes. 

I have all my life been a student of character, 
and the most interesting yet inexplicable charac- 
ter which I have ever studied has been that of 
my friend Peterkin, whose eccentricities I have 
never been able fully to understand or account 
for. I have observed that, on first awaking in 
the mornings, he has been wont to exhibit sev- 
eral of his most eccentric and peculiar traits, 
so I resolved to feign myself asleep and watch 
him. 

“ Heigho ! ” he exclaimed, after the yawn I 
have just referred to. Having said this, he 
stretched out both arms to the utmost above his 
head, and then flung himself back at full length 
on his couch where he lay still for about half a 
minute. Then he started up suddenly into a 
sitting posture and looked slowly from one to 


10(5 


peterkin’s eccentricities. 


another of the recumbent forms around him. 
Satisfied, apparently, that they were asleep, he 
gave vent to a long yawn which terminated in a 
gasp, and then he looked up contemplatively at 
the sky which was, at that hour, beginning to 
warm with the red rays of the rising sun. While 
thus engaged, he caressed, with his right hand, 
the very small scrap of whisker that grew on his 
right cheek. At first it seemed as if this were 
an unconscious action, but he suddenly appeared 
to become absorbed in it and stared straight be- 
fore him as one does when only half awake, 
mumbling the while in an under tone. I could 
not make out distinctly what he said, but I think 
I caught the words, “ Yes, a little — a very little 
thicker — six new hairs I think — umph ! slow, 
very slow.” Here he looked at Jack’s bushy 
beard and sighed. 

Suddenly he thrust both hands deep into his 
breeches’ pockets and stared at the black embers 
of the extinct fire ; then, as suddenly, he pulled 
out his hands and placing the fore finger of his 
right hand on the end of the thumb of his left, 
said slowly, — 

“ Let me see — I’ll recall it.” 

He spoke with intense gravity. Most persons 
do when talking to themselves. 

“ Yes, I remember now. There were two ele- 
phants and four — or three was it? — no, it must 
have been four lions. The biggest elephant had 


peterkin’s eccentricities. 


107 


on a false front of fair curls and a marriage ring 
on its tail. Stay ; was it not the other one had 
that ? No, it was the biggest. I remember 
now, for it was just above the marriage ring I 
grasped it when I pulled its tail out. I didn’t 
pull it off, for it wouldn’t come off ; it came out 
like a telescope or a long piece of india-rubber. 
Ha ! and I remember thinking how painful it 
must be. That was odd, now, to think of that. 
The other elephant had on crinoline. That was 
odder still ; for of all animals in the world it 
least required it. Well, let me see. What did 
I do. Oh yes, I shot them both ; of course, that 
was natural — but it wasn’t quite so natural that 
the big one should vomit up a live lion which 
attacked me with incredible fury. But I killed 
it cleverly. Yes, it was a clever thing, undoubt- 
edly, to split a lion in two, from the tip of its 
nose to the extremity of its tail, with one stroke 
of a pen-knife ! — ” 

At this climax I could contain myself no 
longer, and burst into a loud laugh as I per- 
ceived that Peterkin had spent the night as I 
myself had done, in hunting — though, I confess, 
there was a considerable difference in the nature 
of our achievements, and in the manner of iheir 
accomplishment. 

u Why, what are you laughing at ? ” said 
Jack, sitting up and gazing at me with a stupid 
stare. 


108 


REMARKABLE DREAMING. 


“ At Peterkin’s dreams,” said I. 

“ Ah ! ” said Jack with a smiling yawn, “ that’s 
it, is it? Been hunting elephants and lions, 
eh?” 

“ Why, how did you guess that ? ” I asked in 
surprise, “ were you not asleep just now ? ” 

“ Of course I was, and dreaming too, like 
yourself, I make no doubt. I had just bagged my 
fifteenth elephant and my tenth lion when your 
laugh awoke me. And the best of it is that I 
was carrying the whole bagful on my back at 
once, and did not feel much oppressed by the 
weight.” 

“ That beats my dream hollow,” observed 
Peterkin, “ so it’s my opinion we’d better have 
breakfast. Hallo ! Makarooroo, hy ! d’ye hear ? 
rouse up, you junk of ebony.” 

“ Yis, massa, cornin’,” said our guide, rising 
slowly from his lair on the opposite side of our 
fire-place. 

“ D’you hear ? ” 

“ Yis, massa.” 

“ You’re a nigger ! ” 

“ Dat am a fact.” 

“ Well, being a nigger you’re a brick, so look 
sharp with that splendid breakfast you promised 
us last night. I’ll wager a million pounds that 
you had forgotten ail about it.” 

“ No, massa, me no forgit. Me up in centre 
ob de night and put ’im in de hole. Wat you 
call ’im — oben ? ” 


elephant’s foot. 


109 


u Ay. oven, that’s it.” 

“ Yis, well, me git ’im d’rec’ly.” 

“ And, I say, hold on,” added Peterkin. “ Don’t 
yon suppose I’m going to stand on ceremony 
with yon. Your name’s too long, by half. Too 
many rooroos about it, so I’m going to call you 
Mak in future, d’ye understand ? ” 

The negro nodded and grinned from ear to 
ear as he left us. Presently he returned with a 
huge round, or lump of meat, at which we looked 
inquisitively. The odor from it was delightful, 
and the tender, juicy appearance of the meat 
when Makarooroo, who carved it for us, cut the 
first slice, was quite appetizing to behold. 

“ What is it ? ” inquired Peterkin. 

“ Elephant’s foot,” replied the guide. 
u Gammon,” remarked Peterkin. 

“ It’s true, massa. Don’t you see him’s toe ? ” 
“ So it is,” said Jack. 

“ And it’s first-rate,” cried I, tasting a morsel. 
With that we fell to and made a hearty meal, 
after which we, along with the king and all his 
people* retraced our steps to the river and re- 
turned to the native town where we spent another 
day in making preparations to continue our jour- 
ney towards the land of the gorilla. 

During the hunt which I have just described I 
was very much amused as well as amazed at 
the reckless manner in which the negroes loaded 
their rusty old trade-guns. They put in a whole 
10 


110 


SIGNS OF TROUBLE. 


handful of powder each time, and above that as 
much shot and bits of old iron of all kinds as 
they dared — some I saw charged thus to within 
a few inches of the muzzle, and the owners 
seemed actually afraid to put them to their shoul- 
ders, as well they might be, for the recoil was 
tremendous, and had the powder been good their 
guns must have been blown to pieces and them- 
selves killed. 

On our return to the village we found the 
people on the eve of one of those terrible out- 
bursts of superstitious passion which rarely if 
ever pass away without some wretched human 
creature perishing under the hands of murderers. 

“ There is something wrong with the fetish- 
man, I think,” remarked Jack as we disembarked 
at the landing. “ He seems excited. Do you 
know what it can be at, Makarooroo ? ” 

“ Jack,” interposed Peterkin, “ I have changed 
his name to Mak, so you and Ralph will please 
to remember that. Mak, my boy, what’s wrong 
with your doctor ? ” 

The negro looked very grave and shook his 
head as he replied, “ Don’ know, massa. Him’s 
be goin’ to rizz de peepil wid him norrible doin’s. 
Dere will be death in the camp mos’ bery quick'. 
P’raps dis'night.” 

“ That is terrible,” said I. “ Are you sure of 
what you say ? ” 

“ Sartin sure,” replied the negro, with an- 
other shake of the head. 


SIGNS OF TROUBLE. 


Ill 


“Then, Mak,” .said Jack, “it behoves us to 
look to ourselves. You look like an honest 
fellow, and I believe we may trust you. We 
cannot expect you to help us to fight against 
your own kith and kin, but I do expect that you 
will assist us to escape if any foul play is in- 
tended. Whatever betides, it is as well that you 
should know that white men are not easily con- 
quered. Our guns are good — they never miss 
fire. We will sell our lives dearly, you may de- 
pend on it.” 

“ Ay,” added Peterkin, “ it is well that you 
should know that ; moreover, it is well that the 
rascally niggers of your tribe should know it too; 
so you can take occasion to give them a hint 
that we shall keep ourselves prepared for them, 
with my compliments.” 

“ De mans ob my peepil,” replied the negro, 
with some dignity of manner, “ be not wuss dan 
oder mans. But dem is bad enuff. But you no 
hab need for be ’fraid. Dey no touch de white 
mans. Bern bery much glad you com’ here. If 
any bodies be killed it be black mans or ’oomans.” 

We felt somewhat relieved on hearing this, 
for to say truth we knew well enough that three 
men, no matter how well armed or resolute they 
might be, could not hope to defend themselves 
against a whole tribe of savages in their own 
country. Nevertheless we resolved to keep a 
sharp look-out and be prepared for the worst. 


112 THE KING IS PEESSINGLY HOSPITABLE. 

Meanwhile we did all in our power to expedite 
our departure. 

That evening the trader started on his return 
journey to the coast, leaving us in charge of 
King Jambai, who promised earnestly to take 
good care of us. We immediately put his will- 
ingness to fulfil his promise to the test by beg- 
ging him to furnish us with men to carry our 
goods into the interior. He tried very hard to 
induce us to change our minds and remain hunt- 
ing with his tribe ; telling us that the gorilla 
country was far, far away from his lands ; that 
we should never reach it alive, or that if we did 
we should certainly be killed by the natives who, 
besides being cruel and warlike, were cannibals ; 
and that if we did meet in with gorillas we should 
all be certainly slain, for no one could combat 
successfully with that ferocious giant of the mon- 
key tribe. 

To this we replied that we were quite aware 
of the dangers we should have to encounter in 
our travels, but added that we had come there 
for the very pui^ose of encountering such dan- 
gers, and especially to pay a visit to the giant 
monkeys in their native land, so that it was in 
vain his attempting to dissuade us, as we were 
resolved to go. 

Seeing that we were immovable the king 
eventually gave in and ordered some of his best 
men to hold themselves in readiness to start with 


THE FETISH-MAN’S DOINGS. 


113 


us on the following morning. We then pro- 
ceeded to his majesty’s house, where we had 
supper, and afterwards retired to our own hut to 
rest. 

But we were destined to have little or no rest 
that night. The doctor or fetish-man of the 
tribe had stirred up the passions of the people in 
a manner that was quite incomprehensible to us. 
King Jambai, it seems, had been for some weeks 
suffering from illness — possibly from indigestion, 
for he was fond of gorging himself — and the 
medicine-man had stated that his majesty was 
bewitched by some of the members of his own 
tribe, and that unless these sorcerers were slain 
there was no possibility of his getting well. 

We never could ascertain why the fetish-man 
should fix upon certain persons to be slain, unless 
it was that he had a personal enmity against 
them ; but this seemed unlikely, for two of the 
persons selected were old female slaves who 
could never, of course, have injured the doctor in 
any way. But the doings of Africans, especially 
in regard to religious superstitions, I afterwards 
found were so mysterious that no one could or 
would explain the meaning of them to us. And 
I am inclined to believe that in reference to the 
meaning of many things they were themselves 
utterly ignorant. 

Toward midnight the people had wrought 
themselves up to a frenzied condition, and made 
10* 


114 


MAKAROOROO IN TROUBLE. 


so much noise that we could not sleep. In the 
midst of the uproar Makarooroo, who, we ob- 
served, had .been very restless all the evening, 
rushed into our hut, exclaiming, “ Massa! massa! 
come, save my Okandaga ! come quick ! ” 

The poor fellow was trembling with anxiety 
and was actually pale in the face, for a distinctly 
discernible pallor overspreads the countenance 
of the negro when under the influence of exces- 
sive terror. 

Okandaga we had previously heard of, and 
seen. She was, according to African notions, 
an exceedingly pretty young girl, with whom our 
worthy guide had fallen desperately in love. 
Makarooroo’s education had done much for him, 
and especially in regard to females. Having 
observed the kind respectful consideration with 
which the missionaries treated their wives, and 
the happiness that seemed to be the result of that 
course of conduct, he resolved in his own mind 
to try the experiment with one of the girls of his 
own tribe, and soon after rejoining it, paid his 
attentions to Okandaga, who seemed to him the 
most modest and lovable girl in the village. 

Poor Okandaga was first amazed and then 
terrified at the strangely gentle conduct of her 
lover, and thought that he meant to bewitch her ; 
for, having never before been accustomed to 
other than harsh and contemptuous treatment 
from men, she could not believe that Makarooroo 


max’s method of wooing. 


115 


meant her an^ good. Gradually, however, she 
began to like this respectful wooer, and finally 
she agreed to elope with him to the sea-coast 
v and live near the missionaries. It was necessary, 
however, to arrange their plans with great cau- 
tion. There was no difficulty in their getting 
married. A handsome present to the girl’s father 
was all that was necessary to effect that end, 
and a good hunter like Makarooroo, knew he 
could speedily obtain possession of his bride, but 
to get her removed from her tribe and carried to 
the coast was quite a different affair. While 
the perplexed negro was pondering this subject 
and racking his brains to discover a way of get- 
ting over the difficulty, our arrival at the village 
occurred. At once he jumped to the conclusion 
that somehow or other he should accomplish his 
object through our assistance; and, holding this 
in view, he the more willingly agreed to accom- 
pany us to the gorilla country, intending first to 
make our acquaintance, and afterwards to turn 
us to account in furthering his plans. All this 
we learned long afterwards. At the period of 
which I am now writing, we were profoundly 
ignorant of every thing save the fact that Okan- 
daga was his affianced bride, and that the poor 
fellow was now almost beside himself with horror 
because the fetish-man had condemned her, 
among others, to drink the poisoned cup. 

This drinking of the poisoned cup is an ordeal 


116 


DRINKING THE POISONED CUP. 


through which the unhappy victims to whom 
suspicion has been attached are compelled to 
pass. Each one drinks the poison, and several 
executioners stand by, with heavy knives, to 
watch the result. If the poison acts so as to 
cause the supposed criminal to fall down, he is 
hacked to pieces instantly; but if, through un- 
usual strength or peculiarity of constitution, he 
is enabled to resist the effects of the poison, his 
life is spared and he is declared innocent. 

Jack, and Peterkin, and I seized our weapons, 
and hurrying out, followed our guide to the spot 
where this terrible tragedy was enacting. 

“ Don’t fear, Mak,” said Peterkin, as we ran 
along, “ we’ll save her somehow. I’m certain of 
that.” 

The negro made no reply, but I observed a 
more hopeful expression on his countenance 
after the remark. He evidently had immense 
faith in Peterkin ; which I must say was more 
than I had, for, when I considered our small 
numbers, my hope of influencing savages was 
very slight. 

The scene that met our eyes was indescribably 
horrible. In the centre of a dense circle of ne- 
groes, who had wrought themselves up to a pitch 
of ferocity that caused them to look more like 
wild beasts than men, stood the king, and be- 
side him the doctor, or fetish-man. This latter 
was ornamented with a towering headdress of 


BLOODY WORK. 


117 


leathers. His face was painted white, which 
had the effect of imparting to him an infinitely 
more hideous and ghastly aspect than is produced 
in the white man when he is painted black. A 
stripe of red passed round his head, and another 
down his forehead and nose. His naked body 
was decked with sundry fantastic ornaments, and 
altogether he looked more like a fiend than I had 
believed it possible for man to appear. 

The ground all around was saturated with 
blood and strewn with arms, fingers, cleft skulls, 
and masses of flesh that had been hewn from 
the victims who had already fallen, one of whom, 
we afterwards learned, had belonged to the royal 
family. Two still remained, a young female and 
an old man. The emaciated frame and white 
woolly head of the latter showed that in the 
course of nature his earthly career must soon 
terminate. It is probable that the poor old man 
had become a burden to his relations, and the 
doctor took this opportunity of ridding the tribe 
of him. The girl was Okandaga, who stood 
weeping and trembling as she gazed upon the 
butchery that had already taken place. 

The old man had swallowed the poison shortly 
before we arrived, and he was now struggling to 
maintain an erect position. But he failed, his 
quivering limbs sank beneath him, and before 
we could interfere, the bloody executioners had 
cut off his head, and then, in a transport of pas- 
sion, they literally hacked his body to pieces. 


118 


BLOODY WORK. 


We rushed hastily forward to the king, and 
Jack, in an earnest voice, implored him to spare 
the last victim. 

“ Surely,” said he, “ enough have been sacri- 
ficed already. Tell him, Makarooroo, that I will 
quit his village and never see him more, if he 
does not spare the life of that young girl.” 

The king appeared much perplexed by this un- 
looked for interference on our part. 

“ I cannot check the spirits of my people now,” 
he replied. “ They are roused. The girl has 
bewitched me, and many others. She must die. 
It is our custom. Let not my white men be 
offended. Let them go to their hut and sleep.” 

“ We cannot sleep w^hile injustice is done in 
the village,” answered Jack in a lofty tone. “ Let 
not King Jambai do that which will make his 
visitors ashamed of him. Let the girl live till 
to-morrow at midnight. Let the case be investi- 
gated, and if she be proved guilty then let her 
die.” 

The king commenced a long reply in the same 
dignified manner and tone which Jack had as- 
sumed. While he was thus engaged Peterkin 
touched our guide on the shoulder and whis- 
pered, — 

“ I say, Mak, tell the doctor to back up Jack’s 
request, and I’ll give him a gun.” 

The negro slipped at once to the side of the 
doctor, who had begun to frown fiercely on Jack, 


OKANDAGA RESPITED. 


119 


and whispered a few words in his ear. Instantly 
his face assumed a calmer aspect, and presently 
he stepped up to the king, and a whispering 
conversation ensued, in which the doctor, care- 
fully refraining from making any mention of the 
gun, commended the wise advice of the white 
man, and suggested that the proposal should be 
agreed to, adding, however, that he knew for cer- 
tain that the girl was a witch, but that the inves- 
tigation would do good in the way of proving 
that he, the doctor, was correct, and thus the girl 
should perish on the following night, and the 
white men would be satisfied. 

Having announced this to the multitude, the 
king ordered Okandaga to be conducted back to 
her prison and carefully guarded, and we re- 
turned to our hut — not, however, to sleep, but 
to consult as to what was to be done next. 

“ I knew that you wanted a respite for her,” 
said Peterkin, as we sat round our fire, “ that 
you might have time to consider how to act, 
and I backed up your request accordingly, as 
you know. But now, I confess, I’m very much 
at a loss what to suggest. It seems to me we 
have only purchased a brief delay.” 

“ True,” answered Jack ; “ the delay is not so 
brief, however, but that we may plan some 
method of getting the poor girl out of this scrape. 
What say you, Mak ? ” 


120 PLANS AND PROJECTS. 

“ If you no can tink ’pon someting, I gib up 
all hope,” replied our guide sorrowfully. 

“ Come, Mak ; cheer up ! ” cried Peterkin. 
“ If the worst comes to the worst, you can, at 
any rate, fight for your bride.” 

“ Fight ! ” exclaimed the negro, displaying his 
white teeth like a mastiff, rolling his eyes and 
clenching his fists convulsively. Then in a 
calmer tone he continued, “ Ay, me can fight. 
Me could kill all de guards an’ take Okandaga 
by de hand, an’ run troo de bushes foreber. 
But guards no die widout hollerin, an’ yellerin’ 
like de gorilla ; an’ nigger mans can run fas- 
terer dan womans. No, no, dat am dumposso- 
bable.” 

“ Nothing’s 1 dumpossobable ’ to brave hearts 
and stout arms,” replied Jack. “ There are only 
four guards put over her, I believe. Well, there 
are just four of us — not that we require to be 
equal, by any means ; Peterkin and I could set- 
tle them easily, but we require to be equal in 
numbers in order to do it quietly. I have a plan 
in my head, but there’s one hitch in it that I 
cannot unravel.” 

u And what may that be ? ” I asked. 

“ Why, I don’t see how, after getting clear off 
with Okandaga, we are to avoid being pursued 
on suspicion and captured.” 

“ Dere is one cave,” remarked the guide, « not 


DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES. 


121 


far off to here. P’raps we he safe if we git into 
’im. But I ’fraid it not do, ’cause him be pee- 
piled by fiends an’ dead man’s spirits.” 

“ That’s a grave objection,” said Peterkin, 
laughing. 

“ Yes, an’ de tribe neber go near dere. Dey 
is most drefful terrorfied to be cotched dere.” 

“ Then, that will just do,” cried Jack with ani- 
mation. “ The very thing. And now I’ll tell 
you what my plan is. To-morrow morning early 
we will tell the king that we wish to be off at 
once. . That we have put off too much time al- 
ready, and wish to make no further delay. Then 
we’ll pack up and start. At night we will en- 
camp in a quiet out-of-the-way part of the woods 
and slip back to the village in the dark a short 
time before midnight. The whole village will 
at that time be assembled, probably, at the spot 
where the execution is to take place, so we can 
rush in, overpower the guard, free Okandaga, 
and make our escape to the cave where they will 
never think of looking for us.” 

Peterkin shook his head. “ There are two 
difficulties in your plan, Jack. First, what if 
the natives are not assembled on the place of 
execution, and we find it impossible to make 
our entrance into, or exit from the village 
quietly ? ” 

“ I propose,” replied Jack, “ that we shall un- 
dress ourselves, rub ourselves entirely over with 
11 


122 


DASHING PROPOSALS. 


charcoal and grease, so that they shall not recog- 
nize ns, and dash in and carry the girl off by a 
coup de main. In which case it will, of course, 
be neck or nothing, and a tremendous race to 
the cave, where, if they follow us, we will keep 
them at bay with our rifles.” 

u Umph, dashing, no doubt, but risky,” said 
Peterkin, “ extremely risky. Yet it’s worth try- 
ing. Well, my second difficulty is, what if they 
don’t stick to their promise after we quit, and 
kill the poor thing before midnight ? ” 

“ We must take our chance of that. But I 
shall put the king on his honor before leaving, 
and say that I will make particular inquiry into 
the way in which the trial has been conducted 
on my return.” 

u Put the king on his honor ! ” observed Peter- 
kin, “ Pm afraid that you’ll put his majesty on 
an extremely unstable foundation. However, I 
see nothing better that can be done.” 

“ Have you any more difficulties ? ” 

“ Yes,” said I. “ There is one other. What 
do you propose to do with the men who are to 
be supplied us by the king during these extremely 
delicate and difficult manoeuvres ? ” 

The countenances of my comrades fell at this 
question. 

“ I never thought of them,” said Jack. 

“ Nor I,” said Peterkin. 

Makarooroo groaned.' 


DIFFICULTIES. 


123 


“ Well,” said I, “ if yon will allow me to sug- 
gest, I would recommend that we should, towards 
the close of the day, send them on ahead of us, 
and bid them encamp at a certain place, saying 
that we shall spend the night in hunting and re- 
turn to them in the morning. 

“ The very thing,” said Jack. “ Now, com- 
rades, to rest. I will occupy myself, until I fall 
asleep, in maturing my plans and thinking out 
the details. Do you the same, and if any thing 
should occur to you let us consult over it in the 
morning.” 

We were all glad to agree to this, being 
wearied more, perhaps, by excitement than want 
of rest, so bidding each other good-night we lay 
down side by side to meditate, and, for my part, 
to dream of the difficult and dangerous work 
that awaited us on the morrow. 


124 


DEPARTURE’ EOR THE INTERIOR. 


CHAPTER VII. 

WE CIRCUMVENT THE NATIVES. 

We arose on the following morning with the 
dawn of day, and began to make preparation for 
our departure. 

To our satisfaction we found the king quite 
willing that we should go ; so, embarking our 
goods in one of the native canoes, we ordered 
our negroes to embark, and commenced our 
journey amid the firing of guns and the good 
wishes of the natives. I must confess that I felt 
some probings of conscience at the thought of 
the double part we were compelled to play ; but 
the recollection of the horrible fate that awaited 
the poor negro girl put to flight such feelings, 
and induced a longing for the time of action to 
arrive. 

I have more than once referred to our goods. 
Perhaps it may be as well to explain that, when 
we first landed on the African coast, we made 
inquiries of those who were best acquainted 
with the nature and requirements of the country 
we were about to explore, as to what goods we 
ought to purchase of the traders, in order to be 
in a position to pay our way as we went along — 


GOODS FOR TRADE. 


125 


for we could not, of course, expect the savages 
to feed us, and lodge us, and help us on our way 
for nothing. After mature consideration, we 
provided ourselves with a supply of such things 
as were most necessary and suitable ; such as 
tobacco, powder, and shot, and ball, a few trade- 
guns, several pieces of brightly colored cloth, 
packages of beads, — some white enamelled, 
others of colored glass, — coffee and tea, knives, 
scissors, rings, and a variety of other knick-knacks. 
These, with a little brandy to be used medici- 
nally, our blankets and camp-cooking utensils, 
formed a heavy load for ten men ; but of course^ 
as we advanced, the load was lightened by the 
consumption of our provisions and the giving 
away of goods. The additions which I made, 
however, in the shape of stuffed specimens be- 
gan in the course of time to more than counter- 
balance this advantage. 

Bein^ resolved to impress the natives with a 
respect for our physical powers, we made a point 
of each carrying a pretty heavy load on our jour- 
neys — excepting, of course, when we went out 
a-hunting. But, to return : 

Our crew worked willingly and well, so ihat 
ere night closed in upon us we were a consider- 
able distance away from the village. As the 
sun set we landed, and ordering our men to ad- 
vance in the canoe to a certain bend in the river, 
and there encamp and await our return, we 
11* 


126 


CIRCUMVENTING THE NATIVES. 


landed and went off into the woods as if to search 
for game. 

“ Now, Makarooroo, quick march, and don’t 
draw rein till we reach the cave,” said Jack, 
when we were out of sight of the canoe. 

Our guide obeyed in silence, and for the next 
two hours we tra veiled through the woods at a 
sort of half trot, which must have carried us over 
the ground at the rate of five miles an hour. 
The pace was indeed tremendous, and I now 
reaped the benefit of those long pedestrian ex- 
cursions which for years past I had been taking, 
with scientific ends in view, over the fields and 
hills of my native land. Jack and Peterkin 
seemed both to be made of iron, and incapable 
of suffering from fatigue. But I have no doubt 
that the exciting and hazardous nature of the ex- 
pedition on which we had embarked had much 
to do with our powers of endurance. 

After running and doubling, gliding and leap- 
ing through the dense woods, as I have said, for 
two hours, we arrived at a broken rocky piece 
of ground over which we passed, and eventually 
came upon a thick jungle that concealed a vast 
cliff almost entirely from view. The cracking 
of the bushes, as we approached, showed that 
we had disturbed the slumbers of more than one 
of the wild beasts that inhabited the spot. Here 
Makarooroo paused, and, although it was in- 
tensely dark, I could observe that he was trem- 
bling violently. 


THE HAUNTED CAVE. 


127 


“ Come, Mak,” said I in a whisper, “ surely 
you, who have received a Christian education, 
do not really believe that devils inhabit this 
spot ? ” 

“ Me don know, massa. Eber since me was 
be a pikaniny me ’fraid — horrobably ’fraid ob 
dat cave.” 

“ Come, come,” said Jack impatiently, u we 
have no time for fears of any kind this night. 
Think of Okandaga, Mak, and be a man.”. 

This was sufficient. The guide pushed boldly 
forward, and led us to the mouth of a large 
cavern at which he halted and pointed to the 
gloomy interior. 

“ You have the matches, Peterkin, quick strike 
a light. It is getting late,” said Jack. 

In another moment a light was struck, and 
with it we kindled three goodly sized torches 
with which we had provided ourselves. Hold- 
ing these high over our heads we entered the 
cavern — Jack first, Peterkin second, I next, and 
the terrified negro in the rear. 

We had scarcely entered, and were peering 
upwards at the black vault overhead, when an 
indescribable rushing sound filled the air of the 
cavern, and caused the flame of our torches to 
flicker with such violence that we could not see 
any object distinctly. We all came to a sudden 
pause, and I confess that at that moment a feel- 
ing of superstitious dread chilled the blood in my 


128 


THE HAUNTED CAVE. 


veins. Before we could discover the cause of 
this strange effect several large black objects 
passed through the air near our heads with a 
peculiar muffled noise. Next instant the three 
torches were extinguished. 

Unable to command himself any longer, the 
negro uttered a ciy of terror and turned to fly, 
but Jack, whose wits seemed always prepared 
for any emergency, had foreseen the probability 
of thi*, and springing quickly after him threw his 
arms round his neck and effectually prevented 
his running away. 

The noise caused by the scuffle seemed to 
arouse the fury of all the evil spirits of the place, 
for a perfect hurricane of whirring sounds raged 
around us for a few seconds. 

“ It’s only bats,” cried Jack, “ look alive, Peter- 
kin, another light.” 

In a few seconds the torches were rekindled 
and we advanced into the cavern, and Mak, after 
recovering from his fright and learning the cause 
thereof, became much bolder. The cave was 
about a hundred yards deep by about fifty wide ; 
but we could not ascertain its height, for the 
light of our torches failed to penetrate the deep 
gloom overhead. It was divided into two nat- 
ural chambers ; the outer being large, the inner 
small, a mere recess in fact. In this latter we 
planted our torches and proceeded with our hasty 
preparations. Peterkin was ready first. We 


THE HAUNTED CAVE. 


129 


endeavored to make ourselves as like the natives 
in all respects as possible, and when I looked at 
my companions I was obliged to confess that 
except in the full blaze of the torch-light I could 
not discern any point of difference between them 
and our guide. 

^ “ Now then, Jack,” said Peterkin, “ as you’re 
not quite ready, and I am, I shall employ myself 
in preparing a little plan of my own which I 
intend to put in force if the savages dare to ven- 
ture into the cavern after us.” 

“ Very good, but see that you finish it in less 
than five minutes, for I’ll be ready in that time.” 

Peterkin immediately poured out a large quan- 
tity of powder on a flat rock and mingling with 
it a little water from a pool near by, converted it 
into a semi-moist ball. This he divided into 
three parts, and, forming each part into the shape 
of a tall cone, laid the whole carefully aside. 

“ There,” said he, “ lie you there until you are 
wanted.” 

At this moment, while Jack and I were bend- 
ing down to fasten the latchet of our shoes, our 
ears were saluted with one of the most appalling 
„yells I ever listened to. Makarooroo fell flat to 
the earth in his fright, and my own heart chilled 
with horror, while Jack sprang up and instinct- 
ively grasped the handle of his hunting-knife. 

“ Very good,” said Peterkin, as he stood 


130 


peterkin’s eccentricities. 


laughing at us quietly, and we immediately 
perceived that it was he who uttered thre cry. 

“ Why, what mean you ? ” said Jack almost 
angrily. “ Surely this is no time for foolish jest- 
itig.” 

“ I am any thing but jesting, Jack. I’m only 
rehearsing another part of my plan.” 

“ But you ought to give us warning, when you 
are about to do such startling things,” said I re- 
monstratively. 

“ Nay, that would not have done at all, be- 
cause then I should not have known what ef- 
fect my cry is likely to produce on unexpectant 
ears.” 

u Well, now, are you all ready ? ” inquired 
Jack. “ Then let us go.” 

Issuing forth armed only with our double-bar- 
relled guns and heavy hunting-knives, we has- 
tened toward the native village. When within 
a hundred yards of the edge of the wood that 
skirted it we stopped to pull off our shoes, for it 
was necessary that we should have nothing about 
our persons to tell who we were, should any one 
chance to see us as we ran. We also left our 
rifles beside the shoes at a spot where we could, 
find them in an instant in passing, and then 
slowly approached the outskirts of the village. 

Presently we heard the hum of distant voices 
shouting, and the fear that the scene of bloodshed 


THE NIGHT ATTACK. 


131 


had already begun induced us to quicken our 
pace to a smart run. I never saw a man so 
deeply affected as was our poor guide, and when 
I looked at him I felt extremely anxious lest his 
state of mind should unfit him for acting with 
needful caution. 

We gained the first cottages — they were 
empty. The village having been recently built, 
no stockade had yet been thrown round it, so 
our progress was unimpeded. 

“ We must be very cautious now,” observed 
Jack in a whisper. “ Restrain yourself, Maka- 
rooroo, Okandaga’s life depends^ on our cool- 
ness.” 

On reaching the back of the next hut, which 
was also empty, Jack motioned to us to halt, 
and coming close to us looked earnestly in each 
of our faces without saying a word. I supposed 
that, like a wise general, he was reviewing his 
troops — seeing whether the men he was about 
to lead into battle were fit for their work. 

“ Now,” said he rapidly, “ it’s evident from the 
shouting that’s going on that they won’t waste 
much time with their palaver. The hut in which 
she is confined is not fifty yards off — I took 
care to ascertain it’s position before leaving this 
morning. What we have to do is simple. Spring 
on the guards and knock them down with our 
fists or the hilts of our hunting-knives or with 
bits of stick, as suits us best. But mind” here 


132 


THE NIGHT ATTACK. 


he looked pointedly at our guide, u no shedding 
of blood if it can be avoided. These men are 
not our enemies. Follow me in single file ; 
when I halt come up into line ; let each single 
out the man nearest to him, and when I hold up 
my hand spring like wild-cats. If there happen 
to be five or six guards instead of four, leave the 
additional ones to me. We merely nodded as- 
sent, and in another minute were close upon the 
prison. Peterkin, Mak, nnd I had provided us 
with short heavy bludgeons on our way. These 
we held in our right hands ; our left hands we 
kept free either to grasp our opponents with or 
to draw our kniyes if necessary. Jack carried 
his long knife — it might almost have been termed 
a short sword — in his left hand, and from the 
manner in which he clenched his right I saw 
that he meant to make use of it as his principal 
weapon. 

On gaining the back of the house we heard 
voices within, but could see nothing, so we 
moved softly round to the front, keeping, how- 
ever, well behind the screen of bushes. Here 
Jack halted, and we ranged up alongside of him 
and peeped through the bushes. The hut was 
quite open in front, and the interior was brightly 
lighted by a strong fire, round which the four 
guards — stout fellows, all of them, — were seated 
with their spears beside them on the ground. 
They were conversing in an excited tone, and 


THE NIGHT ATTACK. 


133 


taking no notice of Okandaga who sat behind 
them partially in the shade^ith her face buried 
in her hands. She was not tied in any way, as 
the guards knew well enough that she could not 
hope to escape them by mere running away. 

One rapid glance showed us all this, and en- 
abled us to select our men. Then Jack gave 
the signal, and, without an instant’s hesitation, 
we darted upon them. I know not in what 
manner my comrades acted their part. From 
the moment I set eyes on the negro nearest to 
me, my blood began to boil. Somehow or other 
I saw Jack give the signal without taking my 
eyes off my intended victim, then I sprang for- 
ward and he had barely time to look up in alarm, 
when I struck him with all my force on the right 
temple. He fell without a groan. I looked 
round instantly and there lay the other three with 
my companions standing over them. Our plan 
had been so well concerted, and so promptly exe- 
cuted that the four men fell almost at the same 
instant, and without a cry. 

Poor Okandaga leaped up and uttered a faint 
scream of alarm, but Makarooroo’s voice instantly 
reassured her, and with an exclamation of joy 
she sprang into his arms. There was no time 
for delay. While the scene I have described 
was being enacted the shouts in the centre of 
the village had been increasing, and we guessed 
that in a few minutes more the blood-thirsty 
12 


134 


THE RESCUE. 


executioners would come for their helpless vic- 
tim. We therefore left the hut at once, and ran 
as fast as we could towards the place where our 
guns and shoes had been left. Our guide seized 
Okandaga by the wrist and dragged her along, 
but indeed she was so nimble that at first she 
required no assistance. In a short time, how- 
ever, we were obliged to slacken our pace in 
order to enable her to keep up. We reached 
the guns in safety, but while we were in the act 
of lifting them a burst of wild cries, that grew 
louder and fiercer as they approached, told that 
the natives were rushing tumultuously towards 
the prison. 

“ Now, lads,” said Jack, “ we must put on full 
speed. Mak, take her right hand — here, Okan- 
daga, your left.” 

At that instant there was a shout in the vil- 
lage, so loud that we knew the escape was dis- 
covered. An indescribable hubbub ensued, but 
we soon lost it in the crackling of the under- 
wood as we burst through it in our headlong 
flight towards the cave. The poor girl, feeling 
that her life depended on it, exerted herself to 
the utmost, and with the aid of Jack and her 
lover kept well up. 

“ She’ll never hold out to the end,” said Peter- 
kin, glancing over his shoulder as he ran. 

The cries of the savages filled the woods in all 
directions, showing that they had instantly scat- 


THE RESCUE. 


135 


tered themselves in the pursuit, in order to in- 
crease their chances of intercepting us. We had 
already traversed the greater part of the wood 
that lay between the village and the haunted 
cavern when two negroes, who must have taken 
a shorter route, descried us. They instantly 
uttered a yell of triumph and followed us at full 
speed, while from the cries closing in upon us 
we could tell that the others had heard and un- 
derstood the shout. Just then Okandaga’s 
strength began to fail and her extreme terror as 
the pursuers gained on us tended still further to 
increase her weakness. This was all the more 
unfortunate that we were now almost within a 
couple of hundred yards of the mouth of the 
cave. 

Makarooroo spoke encouragingly to her, but 
she was unable to reply, and it became evident 
that she was about to sink down altogether. 
Jack glanced over his shoulder. The two ne- 
groes were within fifty yards of us, but no others 
were in sight. 

“ Hold my gun,” said Jack to me, sharply. 

I seized it. He instantly stooped down, grasped 
Okandaga round the waist, and without stopping, 
swung her, with an exertion of strength that 
seemed to me incredible, into his arms. We 
gained the mouth of the cavern, Jack dropt 
Okandaga, who immediately ran in, while the 
rest of us stopped abruptly and faced about. 


136 


THE RESCUE. 


u Back, all of yon,” cried Jack, “ else they will 
be afraid to come on.” 

The words had scarcely passed his lips when 
the two negroes came up, but halted a few yards 
from the mouth of the cave on seeing such a 
giant-form guarding the entrance. 

To let those men escape and reveal the place 
of our concealment was not to be thought of. 
Jack darted out upon them. They separated 
from each other as they turned to fly. I was 
peeping out of the cave and saw that Jack could 
not secure them both, I therefore darted out, and, 
quickly overtaking one, seized him by the hair 
of the' head and dragged him into the cave with 
the aid of Peterkin. Jacl? lifted the other savage 
completely from the ground, and carried him in 
struggling in his gripe like a child in its nurse’s 
arms. 

This last episode was enacted so quickly that 
the two negroes were carried into the cavern and 
gagged before the other pursuers came up. At 
the cave’s mouth the whole of the men of the 
village shortly assembled with the king at their 
head. Thus far the excitement of the chase had 
led them, but now that the first burst of rage was 
over, and they found themselves on the threshold 
of that haunted cavern, the fear of which had 
been an element in their training from infancy, 
they felt, no doubt, overawed by superstitious 
dread and hesitated to enter, although most of 


BROUGHT TO BAT. 


137 


them must have been convinced that the fugi- 
tives were there. Their fears increased as their 
anger abated, and they crowded round King 
Jambai, who seemed loth to take upon himself 
the honor of leader. 

“ They must have sought shelter here,” said 
the king, pointing to the cavern and looking 
round with an assumption of boldness which he 
was evidently far from feeling. “ Who among 
my warriors will follow me ? ” 

“ Perhaps the evil spirits have carried them 
away,” suggested one of the sable crew. 

“ That is the word of a coward,” cried the 
king, who, although somewhat timorous about 
spirits, was in reality a bold, brave man, and felt 
nettled that any of his warriors should show the 
white feather. u If evil spirits are there, our 
fetish-man will drive them away. Let the. doc- 
tor stand forth.” 

At that moment the doctor, worthy knave! 
must have wished in his inmost soul that he had 
remained quietly at home and left to warriors 
the task of capturing the fugitives, but there was 
no resisting the mandate of the king; besides 
his honor and credit as a fetish-man was at stake ; 
moreover, no doubt, he felt somewhat embold- 
ened by the presence of such a large number of 
men — there were certainly several hundreds on 
•the ground — so, all things considered, he thought 
it best to accept the post of leader with a good 
12 * 


138 


BROUGHT TO BAY. 


grace. Stepping quickly forward he cried, “ Let 
torches be brought, and I will lead the way.” 

A murmur of approbation ran through the 
crowd of blacks, who, like a flock of sheep, felt 
bold enough to follow a leader blindly. 

While the consultation was going on outside 
we were making hasty preparation for defending 
ourselves to the last extremity. Peterkin, in 
particular, was extremely active, and, to say 
truth, his actions surprised us not a little. I 
once or twice fancied that excitement had turned 
his brain. He first dressed up his head in a 
species of wild turban made of dried grass and 
tall sedgy leaves; then he put several platches 
of red and white earth on his black face, as well 
as on his body in various places, and fastened a 
number of loose pieces of rag, torn from a hand- 
kerchief, and bits of tattered leaves to his arms 
and legs in such a manner as to give him an ex- 
tremely wild and dishevelled appearance. I 
must say that when his hasty toilette was' com- 
pleted he seemed to me the most horrible-looking 
demon I had ever conceived of. He next poured 
out nearly a whole flask of gunpowder on a 
ledge of rock, the edge of which was visible 
from the entrance to the cave, while the rock 
itself concealed him from view. Last of all, he 
took up the three cones of moistened gunpowder 
which the reader will remember he had made- 
before we left the cave to attack the village. 


PETERKIN COMES OUT STRONG. 


139 


One of these he placed among the grass and 
branches on his head, the other two he held in 
his hands. 

“ Now, boys,” he said, when all was ready, 
u all I have to ask of you is that you will stand 
by with matches, and when I give the word 
light the points of those three cones of gunpow- 
der simultaneously and instantly, and leave me 
to finish the remainder of my part. Of course, 
you will be prepared to back me up with your 
rifles if need be, but keep well out of sight at 
first.” 

We now saw the drift of our eccentric friend’s 
intention, but for my part I felt little confidence 
in his success. The plan seemed altogether too 
wild and absurd. But our danger was imminent. 
No way of escape seemed possible,' and it is 
wonderful how readily men will grasp at any 
thing in the shape of a ruse or stratagem, no 
matter how silly or wild, that affords the most 
distant chance of escape from danger. Jack, 
too, I could see from the look of his face, put 
little faith in the plan, and I observed an ex- 
pression on the countenance of our negro guide 
which seemed to indicate that his respect for 
Peterkin’s wisdom was on the wane. 

We had not to wait long. The doctor, with 
several torch-bearers, suddenly darted in with a 
shout, followed closely by the warriors who 
yelled furiously, in order, no doubt, to keep up 
their courage. 


140 


PETERKIN COMES OUT STRONG. 


Alarmed by such an unusual hubbub in their 
usually quiet domain, the bats came swooping 
from their holes in the walls by hundreds, and 
the torches were extinguished almost instantly. 
The savages who were near the entrance drew 
back in haste ; those who had entered stood 
rooted to the spot in terror. 

“ Now ! ” whispered Peterkin eagerly. 

We struck our lights at once and applied them 
to the points of the gunpowder cones, which in- 
stantly began to spout forth a shower of sparks 
with great violence. Peterkin darted out from 
behind the rock with a yell so appalling that we 
ourselves were startled by it, having forgotten 
that it formed an element in his plan. In pass- 
ing he allowed a few sparks to fall on the heap 
of powder, which exploded with so bright a flame 
that the whole cavern was illuminated for an 
instant. It also set fire to the ragged scraps 
with which Peterkin had decked himself out — a 
result which had neither been intended nor an- 
ticipated, so that he rushed toward the mouth of 
the cave howling with pain as well as with a 
desire to scare the savages. 

Th 3 effect of this apparition was tremendous. 
The negroes turned and crushed through the 
narrow entrance screaming and shrieking with 
terror. The bats, no le^s alarmed than the men, 
and half suffocated with smoke, fled out of 
the cave like a whirlwind, flapping their wings 


DEMONIACAL DOINGS. 


141 


on the heads of the negroes in their flight, and 
adding, if that were possible, to their consterna- 
tion. The negroes ran as never men ran before, 
tumbling over each other in their mad haste, 
dashing against trees and crashing through 
bushes in their terror, while Peterkin stood leap- 
ing in the cave’s mouth, smoking and blazing 
and spurting, and unable to contain himself, giv- 
ing vent to prolonged peals of demoniacal laugh- 
ter. Had the laugh been that of negroes it might 
have been recognized; but Peterkin’s was the 
loud, violent, British guffa, which, I make no 
doubt, was deemed by them worthy of the fiends 
of the haunted cave, and served to spur them on 
to still greater rapidity in their wild career. 

Returning into the cave’s innermost recess, we, 
lighted one of the torches dropt by the savages, 
and placing it in a sort of natural niche, seated 
ourselves on several pieces of rock to rest. 

Our first act was to look earnestly in each 
other’s faces; our next to burst into peals of 
laughter. 

“ I say, comrades,” I exclaimed, checking my- 
self, u don’t we run some risk in giving vent to 
our feelings so freely ? ” 

“ No fear,” cried Peterkin, who was still smok- 
ing a little from unextinguished sparks. u There 
is not a man in the whole crew who will draw 
rein till he is sitting, with the teeth still chatter- 
ing in his head, at his own fireside. I never saw 


142 


DEMONIACAL DOINGS. 


men in such a fright since I was born. Depend 
upon it, we are safe enough here from this day 
forth. Don’t you think so, Mak ? ” 

Our guide, who was now trying to reassure 
his trembling bride, turned with a broad grin on 
his sable countenance and said, — 

u Safe ? Ho ! yis, massa. Dere not be a man 
as’l come to dis yere cuvern for de nix tree hun’r 
year or more. Massa Peterkin be de most horri- 
boble ghost dey ever did saw, an’ no mistake. 
But massa, we mus’ go ’way quick an’ git to our 
camp, for de king sure to go dere an’ see if you 
no hab someting to do wid it all. Him’s a bery 
clebber king, am Jambai — bery clebber ; him’s 
no be bughummed bery easy.” 

u Humbugged, you mean,” said Jack, laugh- 
ing, “you’re right, Mak; we must set off at 
once ; but what are we to do with poor Okan- 
daga, now that we have got her ? ” 

This was indeed a puzzling question. It was 
impossible to take her to our camp and account 
to the negroes for her appearance in a satisfac- 
tory manner ; besides, if Jambai took it into his 
head to pursue us in order to ascertain whether 
we had had any thing to do with the. rescue, our 
case would be hopeless. It was equally impos- 
sible to leave her where she was, and to let her 
try to make her escape through the woods alone 
was not to be thought of. While we pondered 
this dilemma an idea occurred to me. 


NEW DIFFICULTIES. 


143 


“ It seems to me,” said I, “ that men are sel- 
dom, perhaps never, thrown into a danger or 
difficulty in this world without some way of es- 
cape being opened up, which, if they will but 
grasp at it promptly, will conduct them at last 
oat of their perplexities. Now, it has just oc- 
curred to me that since every thing else seems 
to be impossible, we might send Okandaga into 
the woods with Makarooroo to guide and defend 
her and to hunt for her. Let them travel in a 
line parallel with the river route which we intend 
to follow. Each night Mak will make a secure 
shelter for her, and then return to our camp as 
if he had come in from hunting. Each morning 
he will set off again into the woods as if to hunt, 
rejoin Okandaga, and thus we will journey to- 
gether, as it were, and when we reach the next 
tribe of natives, we will leave the girl in their 
charge, until we return from the gorilla country. 
What do you think of that plan ? ” 

“.Not a bad one,” replied Jack, “ but if Mak is 
away all day what are we to do for an inter- 
preter ? ” 

“ Make him describe to us and to the men the 
day’s route before leaving us,” suggested Peter- 
kin, u and as for the talking, we can manage tjiat 
well enough for all needful purposes by a mix- 
ture of the few phrases we know with signs.” 

In the excitement of this whole affair we had 
totally forgotten our two prisoners, who lay not 


144 


A SURPRISE. 


far from us on the ground, gagged and pigioned. 
We were now reminded of their presence rather 
abruptly. We must have secured their fasten- 
ings badly, for, during the time we were con- 
versing they managed to free themselves, and 
made a sudden dash past us. Jack’s eye fortu- 
nately caught sight of them in time. He sprang 
up, rushed at the one nearest him, and throwing 
out his foot as he passed, tripped him up. It 
chanced that at that spot there was a deep hole 
in the floor of the' cavern. Into this the poor 
wretch plunged head first, and he was killed on 
the spot. Meanwhile, the other gained the out- 
let of the cave, and had almost escaped into the 
forest when Makarooroo darted after him with 
the speed of an antelope. In a few seconds we 
heard a cry, and shortly after our guide returned 
with his knife clotted with blood. He had over- 
taken and slain the other negro. 

I cannot convey to the reader the horror that . 
filled me and my two companions at this unex- 
pected and melancholy termination of the affair. 
Yet we felt that we were guiltless of rashly spill- 
ing human blood, for Jack had no intention of 
killing the poor negro whom he tripped up, and 
as to the other we could not have prevented our 
guide from doing what he did. He himself 
deemed it justifiable, and said that if that man 
had escaped to the village and told who it was 
that frightened them out of the cave,jthey would • 


























































, 
















t 





































































































RETURN TO THE CAMP. 


145 


certainly have come back and murdered us 
all. There was truth in this. Still we could 
not but feel overwhelmed with sadness at the 
incident. 

We were now doubly anxious to get away 
from this cave, so we rapidly finished the discus- 
sion of our plan, and Jack arranged that he 
should accompany what may be termed the over- 
land part of our expedition. This settled, we 
washed the charcoal off our persons, with the 
exception of that on our faces, having baen ad- 
vised by King Jambai himself to hunt with 
black faces, as wild animals were quicker to per- 
ceive our white skins than their black ones. 
Then we resumed our garments, and quitting 
the haunted cavern, set out on our return journey 
to the camp. 


13 


146 


THE VOYAGE. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

PETERKIN DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF, AND OKANDAGA 
IS DISPOSED OF, ETC. 

When within about three miles of the place 
where* our men had been ordered to haul the 
canoe out of the water and make the camp, we 
came to a halt and prepared a spot for Okandaga 
to spend an hour or two in sleep. The poor 
creature was terribly exhausted. We selected a 
very sequestered place in a rocky piece of ground 
where the light of the small fire we kindled, in 
order to cook her some supper, could not be seen 
by any one who might chance to pass by that 
way. 

Jack remained with her, but the guide went 
on with us in order to give instructions to our 
men, who, when we arrived, seemed much sur- 
prised that we had made such a bad hunt during 
the night. Having pointed out our route, Mak- 
arooroo then left us, and we lay down to obtain 
a few hours’ repose. 

We had not lain more than an hour when one 
of our men awoke us, 'saying that it was time to 
start, so we rose, very unwillingly, and embarked. 


PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY RISING. 147 

“ I say, Ralph,” observed. Peterkin, as we 
glided up the stream, which in this place was 
narrow and sluggish, “ isn’t it strange that man- 
kind, as a rule, with very few exceptions, should 
so greatly dislike getting up in the morning ? ” 

“ It is rather curious, no doubt. But I sus- 
pect we have ourselves to thank for the disincli- 
nation. If we did not sit up so late at night* we 
should not feel the indisposition to rise so strong 
upon us in the morning.” 

“ There you are quite wrong, Ralph. I al- 
ways find that the sooner I go to bed the later I 
am in getting up. The fact is, I’ve tried every 
method of rousing myself, and without success. 
And yet I can say conscientiously that I am de- 
sirous of improving ; for when at sea, I used to 
have my cot slung at the head with a block- 
tackle, and I got one of the middies to come 
when the watch was changed and lower me, so 
that my head lay on the deck below, and my 
feet pointed to the beams above. And would 
you believe it, I got so accustomed to this at 
last that, when desperately sleepy, I used to hold 
on in that position for a few minutes, and secure 
a short nap during the process of suffocation with 
blood to the head.” 

“You must indeed have been incorrigible,” 
said I, laughing. u Nevertheless I feel assured 
that the want of will lies at the root of the 
evil.” 


148 


PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY RISING. 


“ Of course you do,” retorted Peterkin testily ; 
“ people always say that when I try to defend 
myself.” 

“ Is it not probable that people always say that 
just because they feel that there is truth in the 
remark ? ” 

“ Humph ! ” ejaculated my friend. 

w Besides,” I continued, “ our success in bat* 
tling with the evil tendencies of our natures de- 
pends often very much on the manner in which 
we make the attack. I have pondered this sub- 
ject deeply, and have come to the conclusion that 
there is a certain moment in the awaking hour 
of each day which, if seized and improved, gains 
for us the victory. You know Shakspeare’s judi- 
cious remark — ‘ There is a tide in the affairs of 
men which, taken at the flood, leads on to for- 
tune,’ or something to that effect — I never feel 
quite sure of the literal correctness of my quota- 
tions, although I am generally certain as to the 
substance ; — well, there is a tide also in the af- 
fair of getting up in the morning, and its flood- 
point is the precise instant when you recover 
consciousness. At that moment every one, I 
believe, has moral courage to leap violently out 
of bed ; but let that moment pass, and you sink 
supinely back, if not to sleep, at least into a des- 
perate condition of unconquerable lethargy.” 

“ You may be very correct in your reasoning.” 
returned Peterkin; “but, not having pondered 


PHILOSOPHY OF EARLY RISING. 


149 


that subject quite so deeply as you seem to have 
done, I shall modestly refrain from discussing it. 
Meanwhile I will go ashore, and stalk yonder 
duck which floats so comfortably and lazily in 
the cove just beyond the point ahead of us, that 
I think it must be in the condition of one who, 
having missed the flood-tide you have just re- 
ferred to, is revelling in the luxury of its second 
nap. Ho ! you ebony-faced scoundrel ! ” he 
added, turning to the negro who steered our 
canoe ; u shove ashore, like a good fellow. Come, 
Ralph, lend me your fowling-piece, and do you 
carry my big rifle. There is nothing so good for 
breakfast as a fat duck killed and roasted before 
it has had time to cool.” 

“ And here is a capital spot on which to break- 
fast,” said I, as we landed. 

“ First-rate. Now then, follow me, and mind 
your muzzle. Better put the rifle over your 
shoulder, Ralph, so that if it does go off it may 
hit the sun or one of the stars. A six ounce ball 
in one’s spine is not a pleasant companion in a 
hunting expedition.” 

“ But,” retorted I, “ you forget that I am par- 
ticularly careful. I always carry my piece on 
half-cock, and never put my finger on the trig- 
ger.” 

“ Indeed ! not even when you pull it ? ” 

u Of course when I am about to fire ; but you 
know well enough what I mean ” 

13 * 


150 AN UNEXPECTED CHANCE. 

u Hush, Ralph ! we must keep silence now and 
step lightly.” 

In a few minutes we had gained the clump of 
bushes close behind which the duck lay; and 
Peterkin, going down on all fours, crept forward 
to get a shot. I followed him in the same man- 
ner, and when he stopped to take a deliberate 
aim, I crept up alongside. The duck had heard 
our approach, and was swimming about in a 
somewhat agitated manner among the tall reeds, 
so that my companion made one or two unsuc- 
cessful attempts to take aim. 

“ What an aggravating thing ! ” exclaimed 
Peterkin in a whisper. 

At that moment I happened to cast my eyes 
across the river, and the reader may judge of my 
surprise when I beheld two elephants standing 
among the trees. They stood so silently and so 
motionless, and were so like in color to the sur- 
rounding foliage, that we had actually approached 
to within about thirty yards without observing 
them. I touched Peterkin on the shoulder, and 
pointed to them without saying a word. The 
expression of amazement that instantly over- 
spread his features showed that he also saw 
them. 

“ The rifle, Ralph,” he said in a low, excited 
whisper. 

I handed it to him. With careful deliberation 
he took aim, and fired at the animal nearest to 


LARGE GAME SHOT. 


151 


as. The heavy ball ‘entered its huge body just 
behind the shoulder. Both elephants tossed up 
their trunks, and elevating their great ears they 
dashed furiously into the bush ; but the one that 
had been hit, after plunging head foremost down 
a low bank, fell to the ground with a heavy crash, 
quite dead. 

It was a splendid shot. The natives, who al- 
most immediately after came up screaming with 
delight, could scarcely believe their eyes. They 
dasljed across the river in the canoe, while some 
of thdm, regardless of the alligators that might 
be hidden there, sprang into the water and swam 
over. 

“ I’m sorry we did not get the duck, however,” 
observed Peterkin, as we returned to the place 
where we had left the canoe. “ Elephant meat 
is coarse, nasty stuff, and totally unfit for civil- 
ized mouths, though these niggers seem to relish 
it amazingly.” 

“ You forget the baked foot,” said I. 

“ Well, so I did ; it was pretty good, certainly, 
but that’s the only part o’ the brute that’s fit to eat.” 

Soon after this, the canoe came back and took 
us over the river; and we breakfasted on the 
side where the elephant had fallen, in order to 
allow the natives to cut off such portions of the 
meat as they required, and to secure the tusks. 
Then we continued our journey, and at night 
encamped near a grove of palm-trees which 


152 


ARRIVAL AT A NATIVE VILLAGE 


Makarooroo had described to us, and where we 
were soon joined by him and Jack, who told us 
that he had got on well during the day — that he 
had shot an antelope, and had seen a zebra 
and a rhinoceros, besides a variety of smaller 
game. He also told us that Okandaga was en- 
camped in a place of safety a few miles to the 
right of our position, and that she had stood 
the journey well. 

I was much interested by Jack’s account of 
the zebra and the rhinoceros, specimens of both 
of which animals I had seen in menageries, and 
felt disposed to change places with him on the 
march; but reflecting that he was much more 
likely than I successfully to hunt any thing he 
might pursue, I made up my mind to remain by 
the canoe. 

Thus we travelled for several days without 
any thing particular occurring, and at length ar- 
rived at a native village which lay on the banks 
of a noble stream. 

Here Makarooroo introduced us to Mbango the 
chief, a fine-looking and good-natured negro, who 
received us most hospitably, supplied us with 
food, and urged us to remain and hunt with his 
people. This, however, we declined to do, tell- 
ing our entertainer that we had come to his coun- 
try for the purpose of shooting that wonderful 
animal the gorilla, but assuring him that we 
would come back without fail if we should be 


OKANDAGA DISPOSED OF. 


153 


Bpared. We further assured him on this head, 
by proposing to leave in his charge a woman for 
whom we had great respect and love, and whom 
we made him promise faithfully to take care of 
till we returned. 

Peterkin, who soon gave them a specimen of 
his powers as a marksman, and contrived in other 
ways to fill the minds of the chief and his people 
with a very exalted idea of his powers both of 
body and intellect, endeavored to make assurance 
doubly sure by working on their superstitious 
fears. 

“ Tell Mbango,” said he to our guide, u that 
though we be small in numbers, we are very 
powerful ; that we can do deeds [here he became 
awfully solemn and mysterious] such as no black 
man ever conceived of ; and that if a hair of the 
head of Okandaga is hurt, we will on our re- 
turn — ” 

Instead of completing the sentence, Peterkin 
started up, threw himself into violent contortions, 
rolled his eyes in a fearful manner, and, in short, 
gave the chief and his people to understand that 
something quite indescribable and unutterably 
terrible would be the result of their playing us 
false. 

“ Send for Njamie,” said Mbango to one of his 
retainers. 

Njamie, who was the chief’s principal wife, 
soon appeared. She led a sturdy little boy by 


154 


OKANDAGA DISPOSED OF. 


the hand. He was her only son, and a very fine 
little fellow, despite the blackness of his skin and 
his almost total want of clothing. 

To this woman Mbango gave Okandaga in 
charge, directing her in onr presence how to care 
for her, and assuring her of the most terrible pun- 
ishment should any thing befall the woman com- 
mitted to her care. 

Njamie was a mild, agreeable woman. She 
had more modesty of demeanor and humility of 
aspect than the most of the women of her tribe 
whom we happened to see, so that we felt dis- 
posed to believe that Okandaga was placed in 
as safe-keeping as it was possible for us to pro- 
vide for her in our circumstances. Even Mak- 
arooroo appeared to be quite at ease in his mind ; 
and it was evidently with a relieved breast and a 
light heart that he bade adieu to his bride, and 
started along with us on the following day on 
our journey into the deeper recesses of the wil- 
derness. 

Before entering upon these transactions with 
the people of this village, we took care to keep 
our crew in total ignorance of what passed by 
sending them on in advance with the canoe under 
Jack’s care, a few hours before we brought Okan- 
daga into the village, or even made mention of 
her existence ; and we secured their ready obe- 
dience to our orders, and total indifference as to 
our motives in these incomprehensible actions, 


ADVANTAGE OF HEIGHT. 


155 


by giving them each a few inches of tobacco, a 
gift which rendered them supremely happy. 

One day, about a week after the events above 
narrated, we met with an adventure which well- 
nigh cost Jack his life, but which ultimately re- 
sulted in an important change in our manner of 
travelling. We were traversing an extremely 
beautiful country with the goods on our shoul- 
ders, having, in consequence of the increasing 
turbulence of the river as well as its change of 
direction, been compelled to abandon our canoe, 
and cut across the country in as straight a line 
as its nature would permit. But this was not 
easy, for the grass, which was bright green, was 
so long as to reach sometimes higher than our 
shoulders. 

In this species of country Jack’s towering 
height really became ’of great use, enabling him 
frequently to walk along with his head above the 
surrounding herbage, while we were compelled 
to grope along, ignorant of all that was around 
us save the tall grass at our sides. Occasionally, 
however, we came upon more open ground where 
the grass was short, and then we enjoyed the 
lovely scenery to the full. We met with a great 
variety of new plants and trees in this region. 
Many of the latter were festooned with wild 
vines and other climbing plants. Among others, 
I saw several specimens of that curious and in- 
teresting tree the banyan, with drop-shoots in 


156 


FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY. 


every state of growth — some beginning to point 
toward the earth in which they were ultimately 
destined to take root ; some more than half-way 
down ; while others were already fixed, forming 
stout pillars to their parent branches — thus, as 
it were, on reaching maturity, rendering that 
support which it is the glory as well as the privi- 
lege of youth to accord to age. Besides these, 
there were wild dates and palmyra-trees, and 
many others too numerous to mention, but the 
peculiar characteristics of which I carefully jotted 
down in my note-book. Many small water- 
courses were crossed, in some of which Mat 
pointed out a number of holes which, he said, 
were made by elephants wading in them. He 
also told us that several mud-pools, which seemed 
to have been recently and violently stirred up, 
were caused by the wallowing of the rhinoceros ; 
so we kept at all times a sharp look-out for a 
shot. 

Lions were also numerous in this neighbor- 
hood, and we constantly heard them roaring at 
night, but seldom saw them (hiring our march. 

Well, as I have already remarked, one day we 
were travelling somewhat slowly through the 
long grass of the country, when, feeling oppressed 
by the heat, as well as somewhat fatigued with 
my load, I called to Jack, who was in advance, 
to stop a few minutes to rest. 

“ Most willingly,” he replied, throwing down 


FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY 


157 


his load, and wiping away the perspiration which 
stood in large drops on his brow. “ I was on 
the point of calling a halt when yon spoke. 
How do you get on down there, Peterkin ? ” 

Our friend, who had seated himself on the 
bale he had been carrying, and seemed to be 
excessively hot, looked up with a comical ex- 
pression of countenance, and replied, — 

“ Pretty well, thank’ee. How do you get on 
up there ? ” 

“ Oh, capitally. There’s such a nice cool 
breeze blowing, I’m quite sorry that I cannot 
send a little of it down.” 

“ Don’t distress yourself, my dear fellow ; I’ll 
come up to snuff it.” 

So saying, Peterkin sprang nimbly upon Jack’s 
shoulders, and began to gaze round him. 

“ I say, Peterkin,” said Jack, “ why are you a 
very clever fellow just now ? ” 

“ Don’t know,” replied Peterkin. “ I give it up 
at once. Always do. Never could guess a rid- 
dle in all my life.” . 

“ Because,” said Jack, “ you’re 1 up to snuff ’.’ ” 

“ Oh, oh ! that certainly deserves a pinch ; so 
there’s for you.” 

Jack uttered a roar, and tossed Peterkin off his 
shoulders on receiving the punishment. 

“ Shabby fellow,” cried Peterkin, rubbing his 
head. “But, I say, do let me up again. I 
thought, just as you dropped me, that I saw a 
14 


158 FEATURES .OF THE COUNTRY. 

place where the grass is short. Ay, there it is, 
fifty yards or so ahead of us, with a palmyra-tree 
on it. Come, let us go rest there, for I confess 
that I feel somewhat smothered in this long 
grass.” 

We took up our packs immediately, and 
carried them to the spot indicated, which we 
found almost free from long grass. Here we lay 
down to enjoy the delightful shade of the tree, 
and the magnificent view of the country around 
us. Our negroes also seemed to enjoy the shade, 
but they were evidently not nearly so much op- 
pressed with the heat as we were, which was 
very natural. They seemed to have no percep- 
tion of the beautiful in nature, however, although 
they appreciated fully the agreeable influences 
by which they were surrounded. 

While I lay at the foot of that tree, pondering 
this subject, I observed a very strange-looking 
insect engaged in a very curious kind of occupa- 
tion. Peterkin’s eye caught sight of it at the 
same instant with mine. 

u Hallo ! Jack, look here ! ” he cried in a whis- 
per. “ I declare, here’s a beast been and shoved 
its head into a hole, and converted its tail into a 
trap ! ” 

We all three lay down as quietly as possible, 
and I could not but smile when I thought of the 
literal correctness of my friend’s quaint descrip- 
tion of what we saw. 


CURIOUS ANT-EATER. 


159 


The insect was a species of ant-eater. It was 
about an inch and a quarter long, as thick as a 
crowquill, and covered with black hair. It put 
its head into a little hole in the ground, and quiv- 
ered its tail rapidly. The ants, which seemed to 
be filled with curiosity at this peculiar sight, went 
near to see what the strange thing could be ; and 
no sooner did one come within the range of the 
forceps on the insect’s tail, than it was snapped 
up. 

“ Now, that is the most original trapper I ever 
did see or hear of,” remarked Peterkin, with a 
broad grin. “ I’ve seen many things in my trav- 
els, but I never expected to meet with a beast 
that could catch others by merely wagging its 
tail.” 

“ You forget the hunters of North America,” 
said Jack, “who entice little antelopes toward 
them by merely wagging a bit of rag on the end 
of a ramrod.” 

“ I forgot nothing of the sort,” retorted Peter- 
kin. u Wagging a ramrod is not wagging a tail. 
Besides, I spoke of beasts doing it ; men are not 
beasts.” 

“ Then I hold you self-convicted, my boy,” 
exclaimed Jack ; “ for you have often called me 
a beast.” 

u By no means, Jack. I am not self-con- 
victed, but quite correct, as I can prove to the 
satisfaction of any one who isn’t a philoso- 


160 


BAD LOGIC. 


pher. Yon never can prove any thing to a phi- 
losopher.” 

“ Prove it, then.” 

“ I will. Isn’t a monkey a beast? ” 

“ Certainly.” 

“ Isn’t a gorilla a monkey ? ” 

“ No doubt it is.” 

“ And arn’t you a gorilla ? ” 

“ I say, lads, it’s time to be going,” cried 
Jack, with a laugh, as he rose and resumed his 
load. 

At that moment Mak uttered an exclamation, 
and pointed toward a particular spot in the plain 
before us, where, close by a clump of trees, we 
saw the graceful head and neck and part of the 
shoulders of a giraffe. We were naturally much 
excited at the sight, this being the first we had 
fallen in with. 

“ You’d better go after it,” said Jack to Peter- 
kin, “ and take Mak with you.” 

“ I’d rather you’d go yourself,” replied Peter- 
kin ; “ for to say truth, I’m pretty well knocked 
up to-day. I don’t know how it is, — one day 
one feels made of iron, as if nothing could tire 
one, and the next, one feels quite sick and spirit- 
less.” 

“Well, I’ll go; but I shall not take any one 
with me. Take observation of the sun, Mak, 
and keep a straight course as you are now going 
until night. D’ye see yonder ridge ? ” 


JACK GOES OFF TO HUNT. 


161 


“ Yes, massa.” 

u Then hold on direct for that, and encamp 
there. I’ll not be long behind you, and hope to 
bring you a giraffe steak for supper.” 

We endeavored to dissuade Jack from going 
out alone, but he said truly that his load distrib- 
uted among us all was quite sufficient, without 
adding to it by taking away another member of 
the party. Thus we parted ; but I felt a strange 
feeling of depression, a kind of foreboding of 
evil, which I could not shake off, despite my 
utmost efforts. Peterkin, too, was unusually 
silent, and I could not avoid seeing that he felt 
more anxiety on account of Jack’s rashness than 
he was willing to allow. Our friend took with 
him one of our large-bore rifles, and a double- 
barrel of smaller bore slung at his back. 

Shortly after parting with him, we descried an 
ostrich feeding in the plain before us. I had long 
desired to meet with a specimen of this gigantic 
bird in its native wilds, and Peterkin was equally 
anxious to get a shot at it ; so we called a halt, 
and prepared to stalk it. We were aware that 
the ostrich is a very silly and very timid bird, but 
not being aware of the best method of hunting 
it, we asked Makarooroo to explain how he was 
in the habit of doing it. 

“ You mus’ know,” he began, “ dat bird hims 
be a most ex’roroninary beast. When hims run 
hims go fasterer dan — oh ! it be dumpossobable 
14 * 


162 


OSTRICH HUNTING. 


for say how much fast hims go. You no can see 
him’s legs ; dey go same as legs ob leetle bird. 
But hims be horrobably stupid. Suppose he see 
you far far away, goin’ to de wind’ard ob him, 
he no run ’way to leeward ; hims tink you wants 
to get round him, so off him start to git past you, 
and before hims pass he sometimes come close 
’nuff to be shooted or speared. Me hab spear 
him dat way, but him’s awful differcult to git at 
for all dat.” 

“ Well, then, Mak, after that lucid explanation, 
what d’you propose that we should do ? ” i n- 
quired Peterkin, examining the locks of his rifle. 

“ Me pruppose dat you go far ober dere, Massa 
Ralph go not jist so far, and me go to de wind- 
’ard and gib him fright.” 

Acting upon this advice, we proceeded cau- 
tiously to the several spots indicated, and our 
guide set off toward an exposed place, where he 
intended to show himself. In a few minutes we 
observed the gigantic bird look up in alarm, and 
then we saw Makarooroo running like a deer 
over the plain. The ostrich instantly rushed off 
madly at full speed, not, as might have been ex- 
pected, in a contrary direction, or toward any 
place of shelter, but simply, as it appeared to me, 
with no other end in view than that of getting 
to windward of his supposed enemy. I observed 
that he took a direction which would quickly 
bring him within range of my companion’s rifle, 


OSTRICH HUNTING. 


163 






bat I was so amazed at the speed with which he 
ran that 1 could think of nothing else. 

Every one knows that the ostrich has nothing 
worthy of the name of wings — merely a small 
tuft of feathers at each side, with which he can- 
not make even an attempt to fly ; but every one 
does not know, probably, that with his stout and 
long legs he can pass over the ground nearly at 
the ordinary speed of a locomotive engine. I 
proved this to my own satisfaction by taking 
accurate observation. On first observing the 
tremendous speed at which he was going, I 
seized my note-book, and pulling out my watch, 
endeavored to count the number of steps he took 
in a minute. This, however, I found was totally 
impossible ; for his legs, big though they were, 
went so fast that I could no more count them 
than I could count the spokes of a carriage-wheel. 
I observed, however, that there were two bushes 
on the plain in the direction of his flight, which 
he would soon have to pass. I therefore laid 
down my note-book and rifle, and stood with my 
watch in hand, ready to note the precise instants 
at which he should pass the first and second. 
By afterwards counting the number of footsteps 
on the ground between the bushes, and compar- 
ing the result with the time occupied in passing 
between the two, I thus proposed to myself to 
ascertain his rate of speed. 

Scarcely had I conceived this idea when the 


164 


OSTRICH HUNTING. 


bird passed the first bush, and I glanced at my 
watch ; then he passed the second, and I glanced 
again. Thus I noted that he took exactly ten 
seconds to pass from one bush to the other. 
While I was in the act of jotting this down ] 
heard the report of Peterkin’s rifle, and, looking 
up hastily, saw the tail-feathers of the ostrich 
knocked into the air, but the bird itself passed 
uninjured. I was deeply mortified at this fail- 
ure, and all the more so that, from past experi- 
ence, I had been led to believe that my friend 
never missed his mark. Hurrying up, I ex- 
claimed, — 

“ Why, my dear fellow, what can have come 
over you ? ” 

Poor Peterkin seemed really quite distressed ; 
he looked quite humbled at first. 

u Ah ! ” said he, “ it’s all very well for you to 
say, 1 What has come over you ? ’ but you ought 
to make allowance for a man who has carried a 
heavy load all the forenoon. Besides, he was 
almost beyond range. Moreover, although I 
have hunted a good deal, I really have not been 
in the habit of firing at animal locomotives under 
full steam. Did you ever see such a slapping 
pace and such an outrageous pair of legs, Ralph? ” 

“ Never,” said I. “ But come with me to 
yonder bushes. Pm going to make a calcula- 
tion.” 

u What’s a calcoolashun ? ” inquired our guide, 


MAKING CALCULATIONS. 


1G5 


who came up at that moment, panting vio- 
lently. 

u It’s a summation, Mak — a case of counting 
up, one, two, three, &c. — and maybe multiply- 
ing, subtracting, and dividing into the bargain.” 

“ Ho ! dat’s what me been do at de missionary 
school.” 

“ Exactly ; but what sort of calculation Ralph 
means to undertake at present I know not. Per- 
haps he’s going to try to find out whether, if we 
were to run at the rate of six miles an hour till 
doomsday, in the wrong direction, there would 
be any chance of our ever sticking that ostrich’s 
tail again on his big body. But come along, — 
we shall see.” 

On reaching the spot I could scarcely believe 
my eyes. Each step this bird had taken meas- 
ured fourteen feet in length ! I always carried a 
rolled up yard measure about with me, which I 
applied to the steps, so that I could make no 
mistake. There were exactly thirty of those 
gigantic paces between the two bushes. This 
multiplied by six gave 180 steps, or 2,520 feet 
in gne minute, which resulted in 151,200 feet, 
or 50,400 yards, or very nearly thirty miles in 
the hour. 

u No wonder I only knocked his tail off,” said 
Peterkin. 

“ On the contrary,” said I, “ the wonder is 
that under the circumstances you hit the bird 'at 
all.” 


166 


CURIOUS CALCULATIONS. 


On farther examination of the place where we 
had seen the ostrich before it was alarmed we 
ascertained that his ordinary walking pace varied 
from twenty to twenty-six inches in length. 

After this unsuccessful hunt we returned to 
our comrades and proceeded to the rendezvous 
where we expected to find Jack, but as he was 
not there we concluded that he must have wan- 
dered further than he intended, so, throwing 
down our packs we set about preparing the 
camp and a good supper against his return. 
Gradually the sun began to sink low on the ho- 
rizon. Then he dipped below it, and the short 
twilight of those latitudes was rapidly merging 
into night, but Jack did not return, and the un- 
easiness which we had all along felt in regard to 
him, increased so much that we could not refrain 
from showing it. 

“ I’ll tell you wjiat it is, Ralph,” cried Peter- 
kin, starting up suddenly. “ I’m not going to 
sit here wasting the time when Jack may be in 
some desperate fix. I’ll go and hunt for him.” 

“ Me tink you right,” said our guide, “ dere is 
ebery sort ob ting here. Beasties and mans. 
Pr’aps Massa Jack am be kill.” 

I could not help shuddering at the bare idea 
of such a thing, so I at once seconded my com- 
panion’s proposal and resolved to accompany 
him. 

“ Take the double-barrel, Ralph, and I’ll lend 
our spare big gun to Mak.” 


ANXIETIES ABOUT JACK. 


167 


“ But how are we to proceed? which way are 
we to go ? I have not the most distant idea as 
to what direction we ought to go in our search.” 

“ Leave that to Mak. He knows the ways o’ 
the country best, and the probable route that 
Jack has taken. Are you ready ? ” 

“ Yes — shall we take some brandy ? ” 

“ Ay, well thought of. He’ll perhaps be the 
better of something of that sort if any thing has 
befallen him. Now, then, let’s go.” 

Leaving our men in charge of the camp with 
strict injunctions to keep good watch and not 
allow the fires to go down lest they should be 
attacked by lions, we three set forth on our noc- 
turnal search. From time to time we stood still 
and shouted in a manner that would let our lost 
friend know that we were in search of him, 
should he be within ear-shot, but no answering 
cry came back to us, and we were beginning to 
despair when we came upon the footprints of a 
man in the soft soil of a swampy spot we had to 
cross. It was a clear moonlight night, so that 
we could distinguish them perfectly. 

“ Ho ! ” exclaimed our guide, as he stooped to 
examine the marks. 

“ Well, Mak, what do you make of it ? ” in- 
quired Peterkin anxiously. 

Mak made no reply for a few seconds; then 
he rose and said earnestly, “Dat am Massa 
Jack’s foot.” 


168 


THE SEARCH. 


I confess that I was somewhat surprised at 
the air of confidence with which our guide made 
this statement, for after a most careful examina- 
tion of the prints, which were exceedingly indis- 
tinct, I could discern nothing to indicate that 
they had been made by Jack. 

“ Are you sure, Mak ? ” asked Peterkin. 

“ Sartin sure, massa.” 

“ Then push on as fast as you can.” 

Presently we came to a spot where the ground 
was harder and the prints more distinct. 

u Ha ! you’re wrong, Mak,” cried Peterkin, in 
a voice of disappointmentas he stooped to. exam- 
ine the footsteps again. “ Here we have the 
print of a naked foot — Jack wore shoes ; and, 
what’s this ? blood ! ” 

“ Yis, massa, me know dat Massa Jack hab 
shoes. But dat be him’s foot for all dat, and 
him’s hurt somehow for certain.” 

The reader may imagine our state of mind on 
making this discovery. Without uttering art- 
other word we quickened our pace into a smart 
run, keeping closely in the tracks of Jack’s steps. 
Soon we observed that these deviated from side 
to side in an extraordinary manner, as if the per- 
son who made them had been unable to walk 
straight. In a few minutes more we came on 
the footprints of a rhinoceros, a sight which still 
further increased our alarm. On coming out 
from among a clump of low bushes that skirted 


THE WOUNDED MAN. 


169 


the edge of a small plain, we observed a dark 
object lying on the ground about fifty yards dis- 
tant from us. I almost sank down with an un- 
definable feeling of dread on beholding this. 

We held our rifles in readiness as we ap- 
proached it at a quick pace, for we knew not 
whether it was not a wild animal which might 
spring upo* us the moment we came close enough. 
But a few seconds dispelled our dread of such 
an attack and confirmed our worst fears, for there, 
in a pool of blood, lay Jack’s manly form. The 
face was upturned, and the moon which shone 
full upon it showed that it was pale as death 
and covered with blood. His clothes were rent 
and dishevelled and covered with dust as if he 
had struggled hard with some powerful foe, and 
all round the spot were footprints of a rhinoc- 
eros, revealing too clearly the character of the 
terrible monster with which our friend had en- 
gaged in unequal conflict. 

Peterkin darted forward, tore open Jack’s 
shirt at the breast, and laid his hand upon his 
heart. 

u Thank God,” he muttered in a low subdued 
tone, “ he’s not dead. Quick, Ralph, the brandy- 
flask.” 

I instantly poured a little of the spirit into the 
silver cup attached to the flask and handed it to 
Peterkin who, after moistening Jack’s lips, began 
assiduously to rub his chest and forehead with 
15 


170 


THE WOUNDED MAN. 


brandy. Kneeling down by his side I assisted 
him, while Makarooroo applied some to his feet. 
While we were thus engaged we observed that 
our poor friend’s arms and chest had received 
several severe bruises and some slight wounds, 
and we also discovered a terrible gash in his 
right thigh which had evidently been made by 
the formidable horn of the rhinoceros^ This, and 
the other wounds which were still bleeding pretty 
freely, we stanched and bound up, and our ex- 
ertions were at length rewarded by the sight of a 
faint tinge of color returning to Jack’s cheeks. 
Presently his eyes quivered, and heaving a short 
broken sigh, he looked up. 

“ Where am I ? eh ! why, what’s wrong? what 
has happened ? ” he asked faintly, in a tone of 
surprise. 

“ All right, old boy. Here, take a swig of this, 
you abominable gorilla,” said Peterkin, holding 
the brandy flask to his mouth, while one or two 
tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. 

Jack drank and rallied a little. 

“ I’ve been ill, I see,” he said gently. “ Ah ! I 
remember now. I’ve been hurt, the rhinoceros 
— eh? have you lulled it? I gave it a good 
6hot. It must have been mortal, I think.” 

u Whether you’ve killed it or not I cannot 
tell ; ” said I, taking off my coat and putting it 
under Jack’s head for a pillow, “ but it has pretty 
nearly killed you. Do you feel worse, Jack ? ” 


jack’s misfortune. 


171 


I asked this in some alarm, observing that he 
had turned deadly pale again. 

“ He’s fainted, man, out o’ the way,” cried 
Peterkin, as he applied the brandy again to his 
lips and temples. 

In a few seconds Jack again rallied. 

“ Now, Mak, bestir yourself,” cried Peterkin, 
throwing off his coat. “Cut down two stout 
poles, and we’ll make some sort of litter to carry 
him on.” 

“ I say, Ralph,” whispered Jack faintly, “ do 
look to my wounds and see that they are all 
tightly bound up. I can’t afford to lose another 
drop of blood. It’s almost all drained away, I 
believe.” 

While I examined my friend’s wounds and 
readjusted the bandages, my companions cut 
down two poles. These we laid on the ground 
parallel to each other and about two feet apart, 
and across them laid our three coats which we 
fastened in a rough fashion by means of some 
strong cords which I fortunately happened to 
have with me. On this rude litter we laid our 
companion, and raised him on our shoulders. 
Peterkin and I walked in rear, each supporting 
one of the poles, while Makarooroo, being the 
stoutest of the three, supported the entire weight 
of the other ends on his broad shoulders. Jack 
bore the moving better than we expected, so that 


172 


jack’s misfoktune. 


we entertained sanguine hopes that no bones 
were broken, but that loss df blood was all he 
had to suffer from. 

Thus slowly and with much difficulty we bore 
our wounded comrade to the camp. 


A NATIVE VILLAGE. 


173 


CHAPTER IX. 

I DISCOVER A CURIOUS INSECT, AND PETERKIN 
TAKES A STRANGE PLIGHT. 

It happened most fortunately at this time that 
we were within a short day’s journey of a native 
village, to which, after mature consideration, we 
determined to convey Jack and remain there un- 
til he should be sufficiently recovered to permit of 
our resuming our journey. Hitherto we studiously 
avoided the villages that lay in our route, feeling 
indisposed to encounter unnecessarily the risk of 
being inhospitably received ; perhaps even robbed 
of our goods, if nothing worse should befall us. 
There was, however, no other alternative now, 
for Jack’s wounds were very severe, and the 
amount of blood lost by him was so great that 
he was as weak as a child. Happily no bones 
were broken, so we felt sanguine that by careful 
nursing for a few weeks we should get him set 
firmly upon his legs again. 

On the following morning we set forth on our 
journey, and toward evening reached the village, 
which was situated on the banks of a small 
15 * 


174 


CURIOSITY OF THE NATIVES. 


stream, in the midst of a beautiful country com- 
posed of mingled plain and woodland. 

It chanced that the chief of this village was 
connected by marriage with King Jambai, a most 
fortunate circumstance for us, as it insured our 
being hospitably received. The chief came out 
to meet us riding on the shoulders of a slave, 
who, although a much smaller man than his 
master, seemed to support his load with much 
ease. Probably habit had strengthened him for 
his special work. A large hut was set apart for 
our accommodation ; a dish of yams, a roast mon- 
key, and a couple of fowls were sent to us soon 
after our arrival, and, in short, we experienced 
the kindest possible reception. 

None of the natives of this village had ever 
seen a white face in their lives, and, as may well 
be imagined, their curiosity and amazement 
were unbounded. The people came constantly 
crowding round our hut, remaining, however, at 
a respectful distance, and gazed at us until I be- 
gan to fear they would never go away. 

Here we remained for three weeks, during 
which time Jack’s wounds healed up, and his 
strength returned rapidly. Peterkin and I em- 
ployed ourselves alternately tending our com- 
rade, and in scouring the neighboring woods 
and plains in search of wild animals. 

As we were now approaching the country of 
the gorilla, — although, indeed, it was still far 


DOUBTS AND FEARS. 


175 


distant — our minds began to run more upon 
that terrible creature than used to be the case ; 
and our desire to fall in with it, was increased 
by the strange accounts of its habits, and its tre- 
mendous power that we received from the na- 
tives of this village, some of whom had crossed 
the desert, and actually met with the gorilla, face 
to face. More than once, while out hunting, I 
have been so taken up with this subject, that I 
have been on the point of shooting a native who 
appeared unexpectedly before me, under the im- 
pression that he was a specimen of the animal 
on which my thoughts had been fixed. 

One day, about a week after our arrival, as I 
was sitting at the side of Jack’s couch, relating to 
him the incidents of a hunt after a buffalo that 
Makarooroo and I had had the day before, Pe- 
terkin entered with a swaggering gait, and, set- 
ting his rifle down in a corner, flung himself on 
the pile of skins that formed his couch. 

“ I’ll tell you what it is,” said he, with the 
look and tone of a man who feels that he has 
been unwarrantably misled, “ I don’t believe 
there’s such a beast as a gorilla at all! now that’s 
a fact.” 

There was something so confident and em- 
phatic in my comrade’s manner that, despite my 
well-grounded belief on that point, I felt a sink- 
ing at the heart. The bare possibility that, after 
all our trouble and toil and suffering in penetrat- 


176 


DOUBTS AND FEARS. 


ing thus far towards the land which he is said to 
inhabit, we should find that there really existed 
no such creature as the gorilla, was too terrible 
to think upon. 

“ Peterkin,” said * I anxiously, u what do you 
mean ? ” 

“ I mean,” replied he, slowly, “ that Jack is the 
only living specimen of the gorilla in Africa.” 

“ Come, now, I see you are jesting.” 

“ Am I ?” cried Peterkin, savagely, “ jesting? 
eh ! That means expressing thoughts and opin- 
ions which are not to be understood literally. 
Oh, I would that I were sure that I am jesting! 
Ralph, it’s my belief, I tell you, that the gorilla 
is a regular sell — a great big unnatural hairy 
do!” 

“ But I saw the skeleton of one in London.” 

“ I don’t care for that. You may have been 
deceived, humbugged. Perhaps it was a com- 
pound of the bones of a buffalo and a chimpan- 
zee.” 

“ Nay, that were impossible,” said I, quickly, 
u for no one pretending to have any knowledge 
of natural history and comparative anatomy 
could be so grossly deceived.” 

“ What like was the skeleton, Ralph ? ” in- 
quired Jack, who seemed to be rather amused by 
our conversation. 

“ It was nearly as tall as that of a medium- 
sized man, I should think about five feet seven 


DOUBTS AND FEARS. 


177 


or eight inches ; but the amazing part about it 
was the immense size and thickness of -its bones. 
Its shoulders were much broader than yours, 
Jack, and your chest is a mere child’s compared 
with that of the specimen of the gorilla that I 
saw. Its legs were very short — much shorter 
than those of a man, but its arms were tremen- 
dous — they were more than a foot longer than 
yours. In fact, if the brute’s legs were in the 
same proportion to its body as are those of a 
man, it would be a giant of ten or eleven feet 
high. Or, to take another view of it, if you 
were to take a robust and properly proportioned 
giant of that height, and cut down his legs until 
he stood about the height of an ordinary man, 
that would be a gorilla.” 

u I don’t believe it,” cried Peterkin. 

“ Well, perhaps my simile is not quite so felici- 
tous as — ” 

u I dont’t mean that,’’ interrupted Peterkin, 
“ I mean that I don’t believe there’s such a brute 
as a gorilla at all.” 

“ Why, what has made you so sceptical ? ” in- 
quired Jack. 

“ The nonsense that these niggers have been 
telling me, through the medium of Mak as an in- 
terpreter ; that is what has made me sceptical. 
Only think, they say that a gorilla is so strong 
that he can lift a man by the nape of the neck 
clean off the ground with one of its hind feet! 


178 


FEATS OF THE GORILLA. 


Yes, they say he is in the habit of sitting on the 
lower branches of trees in lonely, dark parts of the 
wood watching for prey, and when a native 
chances to pass by close enough, he puts down 
his hind foot, seizes the wretched man therewith, 
lifts him up into the tree and quietly throttles 
him. They don’t add whether or not he eats 
him afterwards, or whether he prefers him boiled 
or roasted. Now, I don’t believe that.” 

“ Neither do I,” returned Jack, “ nevertheless 
the fact that these fellows recount such wonderful 
stories at all, is, to some extent, evidence in favor 
of their existence, for in such a country as this 
where so many wonderful and horrible animals 
exist, men are not naturally tempted to invent 
new creatures ; it is sufficient to satisfy their 
craving for the marvellous that they should 
merely exaggerate what does already exist.” 

“ Go to, you sophist ! If what you say be 
ti-ue and the gorilla turns out to be only an ex- 
aggerated chimpanzee or ring-tailed roarer, does 
not that come to the same thing as saying that 
there is no gorilla at all, — always, of course, ex- 
cepting yourself? ” 

“ Credit yourself with a punched head,” said 
Jack, “ and the account shall be balanced when 
I am sufficiently recovered to pay you off. Mean- 
while, continue your account of what the nig- 
gers say about the gorilla.” 

Peterkin assumed a look of offended dignity, 
as he replied, — 


FEATS OF A GOEILLA. 


179 


“ Without deigning any rejoinder to the utterly 
absurd and totally irrelevant matter contained in 
the preliminary sentences of your last remark, I 
pass on to observe that the natives of these wilds 
hold the opinion that there is one species of the 
gorilla which is the residence of the spirits of de- 
funct niggers, and that these fellows are known 
by their unusual size and ferocity 

u Hold,” cried I, “ until I get out my note-book. 
Now, Peterkin, no fibs.” 

“ Honor bright,” said he, “ Pll give it you just 
as I got it. These possessed brutes are never 
caught and can’t be killed. (I only hope I may 
get the chance to try whether that be true or 
not.) They often carry off natives into the woods 
where they pull out their toe and finger nails by 
the roots and then let them go; and they are 
said to be uncommonly fond of sugar-cane which 
they steal from the fields of the natives some- 
times in a very daring manner.” 

“ Is that all ? ” said I. 

“ All ! ” exclaimed my comrade.^ “ How much 
more would you have ? Do you suppose that 
the gorilla can do any thing it likes ? — hang by 
its tail from the moon ? — or sit down on its 
nose, and run round on its chin ? ” 

“ Massa Jack,” said Makarooroo, entering the 
hut, and interrupting our conversation at this 
point, “ de chief hims tell to me for to tell to you, 
dat w’en you’s be fit for go-hid agin, hims gib 
you cottle for sit upon.” 


180 


MAK IS MYSTERIOUS. 


“ Cottle, Mak, what’s cottle ? ” inquired Jack 
with a puzzled look. 

“ Ho, massa, you know bery well — jist cottle 
— hoxes you know.” 

“ Indeed, I don’t know,” replied Jack, still 
more puzzled. 

“ I’ve no doubt,” interposed Peterkin, “ that he 
means cuttle, which is the short name for cuttle- 
fish, which, in such an inland place as this, must 
of course be hoaxes ! But what do you mean, 
Mak ? describe the thing to us.” 

Mak scratched his woolly pate, as if he were 
quite unable to explain himself. 

“ O massas, you be most stoopid dis yer day. 
Cottle not a ting ; hims am a beast, wid two 
horn an’ one tail. Dere,” said he, pointing with 
animation to a herd of cattle that grazed near 
our hut, “ dat’s cottle, or hoxes.” 

We all laughed at this proposal. 

“ What ! ” cried Jack, “ does he mean us to 
ride upon 1 hoxes ’ as if they were horses ! ” 

“ Yis, massa, hims say dat. Hims hear long 
ago ob one missionary as hab do dat ; so de 
chief he tink it bery good idea, an’ hims try too, 
an’ like it bery much ; only hims fell off ebery 
tree steps, an’ a’ most broke all de bones in him’s 
body down to powder. But him gits up agin, 
and fell hoff agin ; oh, hims like it bery much ! ” 

“ If we follow the chief’s example,” said I, 
laughing, “ we shall scarcely be in a fit state to 
hunt gorillas at the end of our journey ; but, now 


NEW PLANS. 


181 


I come to think of it, the plan seems to me not 
a bad one. You know a great part of our jour- 
ney now lies over a comparatively desert coun- 
try, where we shall be none the worse of a ride 
now and then on ox-back to relieve our limbs. 
I think the proposal merits consideration.” 

“ Right, Ralph,” said Jack, “ go, Mak, and tell" 
his majesty, or chieftainship, or his royal high- 
ness, with my compliments, that I am much 
obliged by the offer, and will consider it. Also 
give him this plug of tobacco ; and see you don’t 
curtail its dimensions before it leaves your hand, 
you rascal.” 

Our guide grinned as he left the hut to fulfil 
his mission, and we turned to converse on this 
new plan, which, the more we thought of it, 
seemed the more to grow in our estimation, as 
most feasible. 

“ Now, lads, leave me, said Jack, with a sigh, 
after we had chatted for more than an hour. 

“ If I am to go through all our worthy host 
seems to have suffered, it behoves me to get my 
frame into a fit state to stand it. I shall there- 
fore try to sleep.” 

Bo saying he turned round on his side, and we 
left him to his slumbers. 

As it was still early in the afternoon, we two 
shouldered our rifles and strolled away into the 
woods, partly with the intention of taking a shot 
at any thing that might chance to come in our 
16 


182 


THE WALK. 


way, but chiefly with the view of having a pleas- 
ant chat about our prospect of speedily reaching 
that goal of our ambition, — the gorilla country. 

“ It seems to me,” observed Peterkin, as we 
walked side by side over an open grassy and 
flower-speckled plain, that lay about a couple of 
miles distant from the village, “ it seems to 
me that we shall never reach that far-famed 
country.” 

“ I have no doubt that we shall,” said I, “ but 
tell me, Peterkin, do you really doubt the ex- 
istence of the gorilla ? ” 

“ Well, since you do put it to me so very 
seriously, I can scarce tell what I believe. The 
fact is, that I’m such a sceptical wretch by na- 
ture, that I find it difficult to believe any thing 
unless I see it.” 

I endeavored to combat this very absurd state 
of mind in my companion, by pointing out to 
him very clearly that if we were to act upon such 
a principle at all times, he would certainly disbe- 
lieve many of the commonest facts in nature, 
and give full credit, on the other hand, to the 
most outrageous absurdities. 

“ For instance,” said I, “ you would believe 
that every conjurer swallows fire, and smoke, and 
pen-knives, and rabbits, because you see him do 
it, and you would disbelieve the existence of the 
pyramids because you don’t happen to have seen 
them.” 


CURIOUS DISCOVERT. 


183 


“ Ralph,” said my companion seriously, “ don’t 
go in too deep, else I shall be drowned ! ” 

I was about to make some reply, when my at- 
tention was attracted by a very singular appear- 
ance of moisture at the foot of a fig-tree under 
which we were passing. Going up to it I found 
that there was a small puddle of clear water near 
the trunk. This occasioned me much surprise, 
for no rain had fallen in that district since our 
arrival, and probably there had been none for 
a long period before that. The ground every- 
where, except in the large rivers and water- 
courses, was quite dry, insomuch that, as I have 
said, this little solitary pool (which was not 
much larger than my hand) occasioned us , much 
surprise. 

“ How comes it there ? ” said I. 

“ That’s more than I can tell,” replied Peter- 
kin, “ perhaps there’s a small spring at the root 
of the tree.” 

“ Perhaps there is,” said I, searching carefully 
round the spot in all directions, but I found 
nothing to indicate the presence of a spring — 
and, indeed, when I came to think of it, if there 
had been a spring, there would also certainly 
have been a watercourse leading from it. But 
such was not the case. Presently I observed a 
drop of water fall into the pool, and, looking up, 
discovered that it fell from a cluster of insects 
that clung to a branch close over our heads. 


184 


CURIOUS DISCOVERT. 


I at once recognized this water-distilling insect 
as an old acquaintance. I had seen it before in 
England, although of a considerably smaller 
size than this African one. My companion also 
seemed to be acquainted with it, for he ex- 
claimed, — 

“ Ho ! I know the fellow. He’s what we used 
at home to call a 1 frog-hopper ’ after he got his 
wings, and a 4 cuckoo-spit ’ before that time ; but 
these ones are six times the size of ours.” 

I was aware that there was some doubt among 
naturalists as to whence these insects procured 
the water they distilled. My own opinion, 
founded on observations made at this time, lead 
me to think the greater part of the moisture is 
derived from the atmosphere, though, possibly, 
some of it may be procured by suction from the 
trees. I afterwards paid several visits to this 
tree, and found, by placing a vessel beneath 
them, that these insects distilled, during a single 
night, as much as three or four pints of water ! 

Turning from this interesting discovery we 
were about to continue our walk when we' ob- 
served a buffalo bull feeding in the open plain, 
not more than five or six hundred yards off from 
us. 

u Ha ! Ralph, my boy,” cried Peterkin enthusi- 
astically, “ here is metal more attractive ! Fol- 
low me, we must make a detour in order to get 
fo leeward of him. 


A BUFFALO BULL. 


185 


We set off at a brisk pace, and I freely confess 
that, although the contemplation of the curious 
processes of the water-distilling insect afforded 
me deeper and more lasting enjoyment, the gush 
of excitement and eagerness that instantly fol- 
lowed the discovery of the wild buffalo bull en- 
abled me thoroughly to understand the feeling 
that leads men — especially the less contempla- 
. tive among them — infinitely to prefer the pleas- 
ures of the chase to the calmer joys attendant 
upon the study of natural history. 

At a later period that evening I had a discus- 
sion with my companions on that subject, when 
I stood up for the pursuit of scientific knowledge 
as being truly elevating and noble, while the 
pursuit of game was, to say the least of it, a 
species of pleasure more suited to the tastes and 
condition of the savage than of the civilized 
man. 

To this Peterkin replied — having made a pre- 
liminary statement to the effect that I was a 
humbug — that a man’s pluck was brought out 
and his nerves improved by the noble art of 
hunting, which was beautifully scientific in its 
details, and which had the effect of causing a 
man to act like a man and look like a man — not 
like a woman or a nincompoop, as was too often 
the case with scientific men. 

Hereupon Jack announced it as his opinion 
that we were both wrong and both right, which 
16 * 


186 


JACK IS PHILOSOPHICAL. 


elicited a cry of “ bravo ! ” from Peterkin, <c for,” 
said Jack, “ what would the naturalist do with- 
out the hunter? his museums would be almost 
empty and his knowledge would be extremely 
limited. On the other hand, if there were no 
naturalists, the hunter, — instead of being the 
hero who dares every imaginable species of dan- 
ger, in order to procure specimens and furnish 
information that will add to the sum of human 
knowledge, — would degenerate into the mere 
butcher who supplies himself and his men with 
meat, or into the semi-murderer, who delights in 
shedding the blood of inferior animals. The fact 
is, that the naturalist and the hunter are indis- 
pensably necessary to each other — 4 both are 
best’ (to use an old expression), and when both 
are combined in one — as in the case of the great 
American ornithologist, Audubon, — that is best 
of all.” 

“ Betterer than both,” suggested Peterkin. 

But, to return from this digression: — 

In less than quarter of an hour we gained a 
position well to leeward of the buffalo, which 
grazed quietly near the edge of the bushes, little 
dreaming of the enemies who were so cautiously 
approaching to work its destruction. 

“ Keep well in rear of me, Ralph,” said Peter- 
kin, as we halted behind a bush to examine our 
rifles. “ I’ll creep as near to him as I can, and 
if, by any chance I should not kill him at the 


BUFFALO BULL STALKING. 


187 


first shot, do yon ran up and hand me your 
gun.” 

Without waiting for a reply, my companion 
threw himself on his breast and began to creep 
over the plain like a snake in the grass. He did 
this so well and so patiently, that he reached to 
within forty yards of the bull without being dis- 
covered. Then he ceased to advance, and I saw 
his head and shoulders slowly emerge from among 
the grass, and presently his rifle appeared and 
was slowly levelled. It was one of our large bore 
single-barrelled rifles. 

He lay in this position for at least two min- 
utes, which seemed to me a quarter of an hour, 
so eager was I to see the creature fall. Sud- 
denly I heard a sharp snap or crack. The bull 
heard it too, for it raised its huge head with a 
start. The cap of Peterkin’s rifle had snapped, 
and I saw by his motions that he was endeavor- 
ing, with as little motion as possible to replace 
it with another. But the bull caught sight of 
him, and uttering a terrific roar charged in an 
instant. 

It is all very well for those who dwell at home 
in security to think they know what the charge 
of an infuriated buffalo bull is. Hid they see it 
in reality, as I saw it at that time, tearing madly 
over the grass, foaming at the mouth, flashing at 
the eyes, tossing its tail, and bellowing hideously, 
they would have a very different idea from what 


1.88 


PETERKIN IN DANGER. 


they now have of the trials to which hunters’ 
nerves are frequently exposed. 

Peterkin had not time to cap. Pie leaped up, 
turned round and ran for the woods at the top 
of his speed, but the bull was upon him in an 
instant. Almost before I had time to realize 
what was occurring, I beheld my companion 
tossed high into the air. He turned a distinct 
somersault and fell with a fearful crash into the 
centre of a small bush. I cannot recall my 
thoughts on witnessing this. I remember only 
experiencing a sharp pang of horror and feeling 
that Peterkin must certainly have been killed. 
But whatever my thoughts were they must have 
been rapid, for the time allowed me was short, 
as the bull turned sharp round after tossing 
Peterkin and rushed again toward the bush, 
evidently with the intention of completing the 
work of destruction. 

Once again I experienced that strange and 
sudden change of feeling to which I have before 
referred. I felt a bounding sensation in my 
breast which tingled to my finger-ends. At the 
same time my head became clear and cool. I 
felt that Providence had placed the life of my 
friend in my hands. Darting forward in advance 
of the bush I awaited the charge of the infuri- 
ated animal. On it came. I knew that I was 
not a sufficiently good shot to make sure of hit- 
ting it in the brain. I therefore allowed it to 


PETER KIN TOSSED BY A BUFFALO BULI 



'/ffUb-'i Wa/A 






THE RESCUE. 


189 


come within a yard of me, and then sprang 
lightly to one side. As it flew past, I never 
thought of taking aim or putting the piece to 
my shoulder, but I thrust the muzzle against its 
side and pulled both triggers at once. 

From that moment consciousness forsook me 
and J knew not what occurred for some minutes 
after. The first object that met my confused 
vision when I again opened my eyes was Peter- 
kin, who was seated close beside me on the body 
of the dead buffalo, examining some bloody 
scratches on the calf of his left leg. He had 
evidently been attempting to restore me to con- 
sciousness, for I observed that a wet handker- 
chief lay on my forehead. He muttered to him- 
self as he examined his wounds, — 

u This comes of not looking to one’s caps. 
Humph ! I do believe that every bone in my 
body is — ah ! here’s another cut, two inches at 
least, and into the bone of course, to judge from 
the flow of blood. I wonder how much blood I 
can afford to lose without being floored alto- 
gether. Such a country ! I wonder how high I 
went. I felt as if I’d got above the moon — 
hallo ! Ralph, better ? ” 

I sat up as he said this, and looked at him 
earnestly. 

“ My dear Peterkin, then you’re not killed after 
all.” 

Not quite, but pretty near. If it had not been 


190 


ROUGH WORK. 


for that friendly bnsh I should have fared worse. 
It broke my fall completely, and I really believe 
that my worst hurts are a few scratches. But 
how are you , Ralph?” Yours was a much 
more severe case than mine. You should hold 
your gun tighter, man, when you fire without 
putting it to your shoulder.” 

“ How ? why ? what do you mean ? ” 

“ Simply this, that in consequence of your 
reckless manner of holding your rifle, it came 
back with such a slsy^on your chest that it 
floored you.” 

“ This, then, accounts for the pain I feel in it, 
but come,” said I, rising and shaking my limbs 
to make sure that no bones were broken, “ we 
have reason to be very thankful we have escaped 
so easily. I made sure that you were killed 
when I saw you flying through the air.” 

“ I always had a species of cat-luck about 
me,” replied Peterkin with a smile, “ but now let 
us cut off a bit o’ this fellow to take back with 
us for Jack’s supper.” 

With some difficulty we succeeded in cutting 
out the buffalo’s tongue by the root, and carried 
it back to the village, where, after displaying it 
as an evidence of our prowess, we had it cooked 
for supper. 

The slight hurts that we had received at the 
time of this adventure were speedily cured, and 
about two weeks after that we were all well 
efiough to resume our journey. 


NEW STYLE OF RIDING. 


191 


CHAPTER X. 

WATER APPRECIATED. DESTRUCTIVE FLIES, ETC. 

Our first start from the village where we had 
been entertained so hospitably and so long, was 
productive of much amus^gent to ourselves and 
to the natives. 

We had determined to accept of three oxen 
from the chief, and to ride these when we felt 
fatigued, but we thought it best to let our native 
porters carry our baggage on their shoulders as 
they had hitherto done. 

When the animals were led up to the hut, we 
could not refrain from laughing. They were 
three sturdy-looking dark-skinned oxen, with 
wicked-looking black eyes and very long horns. 

u Now, Jack, do you get up first,” said Peter- 
kin, “ and show us what we are to expect.” 

“ Nay, lad, I am still entitled to be considered 
an invalid, so you must get up first, and not only 
so, but you must try them all, in order that I 
may be enabled to select the quietest.” 

“ Upon my word, you are becoming despotic 
in your sickness, and you forget that it is but a 
short time since I came down from a journey to 


192 


OXMANSHIP. 


the sky, and that my poor bones are still tender. 
But here goes, I was born to be victimized, so I 
submit to the decrees of Fate.” 

Peterkin went up to one of the oxen, and at- 
tempted to mount -it, but the animal made a de- 
monstration of an intention to gore him, and 
obstinately objected to this. 

“ Hold him tight, Mak,” he cried, after several 
futile attempts to mount. “ I was always good 
at leap-frog when a school-boy — see if I don’t 
bring my powers into play now.” 

So saying, he went behind the ox, took a short 
race, and sprang with the agility of a monkey, 
over its tail on to its back ! The ox began to 
kick and sidle, and plunge heavily on receiving 
this unexpected load, but its rider held on well, 
until it took it into its head to dart under a neigh- 
boring tree, the lower branches of which swept 
him off and caused him to fall with a heavy plump 
to the ground. 

“ I told you so,” he cried, rising with a rueful 
face, and rubbing himself as he limped forward. 
However, his pain was more than half affected, 
for the next minute he was on the back of an- 
other ox. This one also proved restive, but not 
so much so as the firsts The third was a very 
quiet animal, so Jack appropriated it as his 
charger. 

Having bade adieu to the chief, and rubbed 
noses with him and with several of our friends 


OXMANSHIP. 


193 


ill the village, we all three got upon our novel 
steeds and set forth. But we had not got away 
from the village more than a mile when the two 
restive oxen began to display a firm determina- 
tion to get tid of their intolerable burden. Mine 
commenced to back and sidle, and Peterkin’s 
made occasional darts forward, and then, stop- 
ping suddenly, refused to budge a step. We 
lost all patience at last, and belabored them 
soundly with twigs, the effect of which was to 
make them advance rather slowly, and evidently 
under protest. 

u Look out for branches,” cried Peterkin, as we 
came up to a narrow belt of wood. 

I had scarcely time to raise my head, when I 
was swept off my seat, and hurled to the ground 
by a large branch. Peterkin’s attention was 
drawn to me, and his ox, as if aware of the fact, 
seized the opportunity to swerve violently to one 
side, thereby throwing its rider off. Both ani- 
mals gave a bellow, as if of triumph, erected 
their tails, and ran away. They were soon re- 
captured, however, by our negroes, and, mount- 
ing once more, we belabored them well, and con- 
tinued our journey. In course of time, they be- 
came more reconciled to their duties, but I can- 
not say that I ever came to enjoy such riding, 
and all of us ultimately agreed that it was a most 
undesirable thing to journey on ox-back. 

Thus we commenced our journey over this 
17 


194 


WANT OF WATER. 


desert, or plain, of Africa, and at the end of many 
weeks, found ourselves approaching that part of 
the country near the equator in which the gorilla 
is said to dwell. On the way we had many 
adventures — some of an amusing, some of a 
dangerous character, and I m£de many additions 
to my collection of animals, besides making a 
number of valuable and interesting notes in my 
journal ; but all this I am constrained to pass 
over, in order to introduce my reader to those 
regions in which some of our most wonderful 
adventures occurred. 

One or two things, however, I must not omit 
to mention. 

In passing over the desert, we suffered much 
from want of water. Frequently the poor oxen 
had to travel two or three days without tasting 
a drop, and their distress was so great that we, 
more than once, thought of turning them adrift 
at the first good watering place we should come 
to, and proceed, as formerly, on foot, for we had 
all recovered our wonted vigor, and were quite 
capable of standing the fatigues of the journey 
as well as our men. But several times we had 
found the country destitute of game, and were 
reduced to the point of starvation, so we contin- 
ued to keep the oxen, lest we should require 
them for food. 

On one occasion, we were wending our way 
slowly along the bed of what, in the rainy sea- 


WANT OF WATEK. 


195 


son, would become a large river, but which was 
now so thoroughly dry that we could not find 
even a small pool in which the oxen might slake 
their thirst. They had been several days abso- 
lutely without a drop of water, while we were 
reduced to a mouthful or two per man in the 
day. As we could not exist much longer with- 
out the life-giving fluid, Jack dismounted, and, 
placing the load of one of the men on the ox’s 
back, sent him off in advance to look for water. 
We had that morning seen the footprints of sev- 
eral animals, which are so fond of water that 
they are never found at any great distance from 
some spot where it may be found. We, there- 
fore, felt certain of falling in with it ere long. 

About two horns afterwards our negro re- 
turned, saying that he had discovered a pool of 
rain-water, and showing the marks of mud on 
his knees in confirmation of the truth of what he 
said. 

“ Ask him if there’s much of it, Mak,” said 
Jack, as we crowded eagerly round the man. 

u Hims say there be great plenty ob it. ’Nuff 
to tumble in.” 

Gladdened by this news we hastened forward. 
The oxen seemed to have scented the water from 
afar, for they gradually became more animated, 
and quickened their pace of their own accord, 
until they at last broke into a run. Peterkin and 
I soon outstripped our party, and quite enjoyed 
the gallop. 


196 


“water! water!” 


“ There it is,” cried my comrade joyfully, point- 
ing to a gleaming pond in a hollow of the plain 
not two hundred yards off. 

“ Hurrah ! ” I shouted, unable to repress my 
delight at the sight. 

The oxen rushed madly forward, and we found 
that they were away with us. No pulling at 
our rope-bridles had any effect on them. My 
companion foreseeing what would happen, leaped 
nimbly off just as he reached the margin of the 
pond. I being unable to collect my thoughts 
for the emergency, held on. My steed rushed 
into the water up to the neck, and, stumbling as 
he did so, threw me into the middle of the pond, 
out of which I scrambled amidst the laughter of 
the whole party, who came up almost as soon a>4 
the oxen, so eager were they to drink. 

After appeasing our own thirst we stood look- 
ing at the oxen, and it really did our hearts good 
to see the poor thirsty creatures enjoy themselves 
so thoroughly. They stood sucking in the water 
as if they meant to drink up the whole pond, 
half shutting their eyes, which bee .me mild and 
amiable in appearance under the influence of 
extreme satisfaction. Their sides, which had 
been for the last two days in a state of collapse, 
began to swell, and, at last, were distended to such 
an extent that they seemed as if ready to burst. 
In point of fact the creatures were actually as full 
as they could hold, and when at length they 


HARD DRINKERS. 


197 


dragged themselves slowly, almost unwillingly, 
out of the pool, any sudden jerk or motion caused 
some of the 'water to run out of their mouths ! 

Some time after that we were compelled to 
part with our poor steeds in consequence of their 
being bitten by an insect which caused their 
death. 

This destructive fly which is called tsetse, is a 
perfect scourge in some parts of Africa. Its bite 
is fatal to the horse, ox, and dog, yet strange to 
say, it is not so to man or to wild animals. It 
is not much larger than the common house-fly, 
and sucks the blood in the same manner as the 
mosquito, by means of a proboscis with which it 
punctures the skin. When man is bitten by it, 
no more serious evil than slight itching of the 
part follows. When the ox is bitten no serious 
effect follows at first, but a few days afterwards 
a running takes place at the eyes and nose, 
swellings appear under the jaw and on other parts 
of ihe body, emaciation quickly follows, even 
although the animal may continue to graze, and 
after a long illness, sometimes of many weeks, it 
dies of extreme exhaustion. 

The tsetse inhabits certain localities in great 
numbers, while other places in the immediate 
neighborhood are entirely free ; those natives, 
therefore, who have herds of cattle avoid the 
dangerous regions most carefully, yet, despite • 
their utmost care, they sometimes come unex- 
17 * 


198 


DESTRUCTIVE FLIES. 


pectedly on the habitat of this poisonous fly, and 
Lose the greater part of their cattle. 

When our poor oxen were bitten, and the fatal 
symptoms began to appear, we knew that their 
fate was sealed, so we conducted them into a 
pleasant valley on which we chanced to alight, 
where there was plenty of grass and water, and 
there we left them to die. 

Another incident occurred to us in this part 
of our journey, which is worthy of record. 

One day Peterkin and I had started before 
our party with our rifles, and had gone a consid- 
erable distance in advance of them, when we 
unexpectedly came upon a band of natives who 
was travelling in an opposite direction. Before 
coming up with their main body, we met with 
one of their warriors who came upon us suddenly 
in the midst of a wooded spot, and stood rooted 
to the earth with fear and amazement, at which, 
indeed, we were not much surprised, for as he 
had probably never seen white faces before, he 
must have naturally taken us for ghosts or phan- 
toms of some sort. 

He was armed with shield and spear, but his 
frame was paralyzed with terror. He seemed to 
have no power to use his weapons. At first we 
also stood in silent wonder, and returned his stare 
with interest, but, after a few seconds, the com- 
• icality of the man’s appearance tickled Peterkin 
so much that he burst into a fit of laughter, which 


UNEXPECTED MEETING. 


199 


had the effect of increasing the terror of the 
black warrior to such a degree that his teeth be- 
gan to chatter in his head. He actually grew 
livid in the face. I never beheld a more ghastly 
countenance. 

“ I say, Ralph,” observed my companion after 
recovering his composure, “ we must try to show 
this fellow that we don’t mean him any harm, 
else he’ll die of sheer fright.” 

Before I could reply, or any steps could be 
taken towards this end, his party came up, and 
we suddenly found ourselves face to face with 
at least a hundred men, all of whom were armed 
with spears or bows and arrows. Behind them 
came a large troop of women and children. They 
were all nearly naked, and I observed that they 
were blacker in the skin than most of the negroes 
we had yet met with. 

u Here’s a pretty mess,” said Peterkin, looking 
at me. 

“ What is to be done ? ” said I. 

“ If we were to fire at them, I’d lay a bet 
they’d run away like the wind,” replied my com- 
rade, “ but I can’t bear to think of shedding 
human blood if it can possibly be avoided.” 

While we Spoke, the negroes, who stood about 
fifty yards distant from us, were consulting with 
each other in eager voices, but never for a mo- 
ment taking their eyes off us. 

“ What say you to fire over their heads ? ” I 
suggested. 


200 


PROSPECTS OF WAR. 


“ Ready, present ! then,” cried Peterkin, with 
a recklessness of manner that surprised me. 

We threw forward our rifles, and discharged 
them simultaneously. 

The effect was tremendous. The whole band, 
men, women, and children, uttered an overwhelm- 
ing shriek, and, turning round, fled in mad con- 
fusion from the spot. Some of the warriors 
turned, however, ere they had gone far, and sent 
a shower of spears at us, one of which went close 
past my cheek. 

“We have acted rashly, I fear,” said I, as we 
each sought shelter behind a tree. 

No doubt the savages construed this act of 
ours into an admission that we did not consider 
ourselves invulnerable, and plucked up courage 
accordingly, for they began again to advance 
toward us, though with hesitation. I now saw 
that we should be compelled to fight for our 
lives, and deeply regretted my folly in advising 
Peterkin to fire over their heads, but happily, be- 
fore blood was drawn on either side, Makarooroo 
and Jack came running toward us. The for- 
mer shouted an explanation of who and what we 
were to our late enemies, and in less than ten 
minutes we were mingling together in the most 
amicable manner. 

We found that these poor creatures were starv- 
ing, having failed to procure any provisions for 
some time past, and they were then on their way 


PEACE DECLARED. 


201 


to another region in search of game. We gave 
them as much of our provisions as we could 
spare, besides a little tobacco which afforded 
them inexpressible delight. Then, rubbing noses 
with the chief, we parted and went on our re- 
spective ways. 


202 


HOPES. 


CHAPTER XI. 

HOW WE MET WITH OUR FIRST GORILLA AND HOW 
WE SERVED HIM. 

“ It never rains but it pours,” is a true proverb. 
I have often noticed, in the course of my observa- 
tions on sublunary affairs, that events seldom 
come singly. I have often gone out fishing for 
trout in the rivers of my native land, day after 
day, and caught nothing, while at other times I 
I have, day after day, returned home with my 
basket full. 

As it was in England so I found it in Africa. 
For many days after our arrival in the gorilla 
country, we wandered about without seeing a 
single creature of any kind. Lions, we ascer- 
tained, were never found in those regions, and 
we were told that this was in consequence of 
their having been beaten off the field by gorillas. 
But at last, after we had all, severally and col- 
lectively, given way to despair, we came upon 
the tracks of a gorilla, and from that hour we 
were kept constantly on the qui vive , and in the 
course of a few weeks we spent in that part of 


THE FOOTPRINT. 


203 


the country, we u bagged,” as Peterkin expressed 
it, “ no end of gorillas ” — great and small, young 
and old. 

I will never forget the powerful sensations of 
excitement and anxiety that filled our breasts 
when we came on the first gorilla footprint. We 
felt as, no doubt, Robinson Crusoe did when he 
discovered the footprint of a savage in the sand. 
Here at last was the indubitable evidence of the 
existence and presence of the terrible animal we 
had come so far to see. Here was the footstep 
of that creature about which we had heard so 
many wonderful stories, whose existence the civ- 
ilized world had, up to within a very short time 
back, doubted exceedingly, and in regard to 
which, even now, we knew comparatively very 
little. 

Makarooroo assured us that he had hunted 
this animal some years ago, and had seen one or 
two at a distance, though he had never killed 
one, and stated most emphatically that the 
footprint before us, which happened to be in a 
soft sandy spot, was undoubtedly caused by the 
foot of a gorilla. 

Being satisfied on this head we four sat down 
in a circle round the footprint. to examine it, 
while our men stood round about us, looking on 
with deep interest expressed in their dark faces. 

“ At last ! ” said I, carefully brushing away 
some twigs that partly covered the impression. 


204 


THE FOOTPRINT. 


u Ay, at last ! ” echoed Jack, while his eyes 
sparkled with enthusiasm. 

“ Ay,” observed Peterkin, “ and a pretty big 
last he must require, too. I shouldn’t like to be 
his shoemaker. What a thumb, or a toe ! one 
doesn’t know very well which to call it ! ” 

“ I wonder if it’s old ? ” said I. 

“ As old as the hills,” replied Peterkin, “ at 
least so I would judge from its size.” 

“ You mistake me. I mean that I wonder 
whether the footprint is old, or if it has been 
made recently.” 

“ Him’ s quite noo,” interposed our guide. 

“ How d’ye know, Mak ? ” 

“ Cause me see.” 

“ Ay, but what do you see that enables you to 
form such an opinion ? ” 

“ O Ralph, how can you expect a nigger to 
understand such a sentence as that ? ” said Jack, 
as he turned to Mak and added, “ What do you 
see ? ” 

“ Me see one leetle stick brok in middel. If 
you look to him you see him white and clean. 
If hi ms was old hims would be mark wid rain 
and dirt.” 

“ There,” cried Peterkin, giving me a poke in 
the side, u see what it is to be a minute student 
of the small things in nature. Make a note of 
it, Ralph.” 

I did make a note of it, mentally, on the spot, 


THE CHASE. 


205 


and then proposed that we should go in search 
of the gorilla without further delay. 

We were in the midst of a dark gloomy wood 
in the neighborhood of a range of mountains 
whose blue serrated peaks rose up into the 
clouds. Their sides were partly clothed with 
wood. We were travelling — not hunting — at 
the time we fell in with the track above referred 
to, so we immediately ordered the men to en- 
camp where they were, while we should go after 
the gorilla, accompanied only by Mak, whose 
nerves we could depend on. 

Shouldering our trusty rifles and buckling 
tight the belts of our heavy hunting-knives, we 
sallied forth after the manner of American In- 
dians, in single file, keeping, as may well be sup- 
posed, a sharp look-out as we went along. The 
fact was that long delay, frequent disappoint- 
ment, and now the near prospect of success, 
conspired together to fill us with a species of 
nervous excitement that caused us to start at 
every sound. 

The woods here were pretty thick, but they 
varied in their character so frequently that we 
were at one time pushing slowly among dense, 
almost impenetrable underwood, at another, 
walking briskly over small plains* which were 
covered in many places with huge boulders. It 
was altogether a gloomy, savage-looking country, 
and seemed to me well suited to be the home of 
18 


206 


THE CHASE. 


so dreadful an animal. There were few animals 
to be seen here. Even birds were scarce, and a 
few chattering monkeys were almost the only 
creatures that broke the monotonous silence and 
solitude around us. 

“ What a dismal place ! ” said Peterkin, in a 
low tone. “ I feel as if we had got to the fag 
end of the world, as if we were about plunging 
into ancient chaos.” 

u It is, indeed,” I replied, “ a most dreary re- 
gion. I think that the gorillas will not be dis- 
turbed by many hunters with white faces.” 

“ There’s no saying,” interposed Jack. “ I 
should not wonder, now, if you, Ralph, were to 
go home and write a book detailing our adven- 
tures in these parts, that at least half the sports- 
men of England would be in Africa next year, 
and the race of gorillas would probably become 
extinct.” 

“ If the sportsmen don’t come out until I write 
a book about them, I fear the gorillas will re- 
main undisturbed for all time to come.” 

At that time, reader, I was not aware of the 
extreme difficulty that travellers experience 
resisting the urgent entreaties of admiring and 
too partial friends ! 

Presently we came to a part of the forest where 
the underwood became so dense that we could 
scarcely make our way through it all, and here 
we began for the first time to have some clearer 


MYSTERIOUS SOUND. 


207 


conception of the immense power of the creature 
we were in pursuit of, for in order to clear its 
way, it had torn down great branches of trees, 
and in one or two places had seized young trees 
as thick as a man’s arm, and snapt them in two 
as one would snap a walking cane. 

Following the track with the utmost care for 
several miles, we at length came to a place where 
several huge rocks lay among the trees. Here, 
while we were walking along in silence, Mak- 
arooroo made a peculiar noise with his tongue, 
which we knew meant that he had discovered 
something worthy of special attention, so we 
came to an abrupt pause and looked at him. 

“ What is it, Mak ? ” inquired Jack. 

The guide put his finger on his mouth to im- 
pose silence, and stood in a listening attitude 
with his eyes cast upon the ground, his nostrils 
distended, and every muscle of his dusky frame 
rigid as if he were a statue of black marble. 
We also listened attentively, and presently 
heard a sound as of the breaking of twigs and 
branches. 

3 “ Dat am be gorilla,” said the guide in a low 
whisper. 

We exchanged looks of eager satisfaction. 

“ How shall we proceed, Mak ? ” inquired 
Jack. 

“We mus’ go bery slow, dis way,” said the 
guide, imitating the process of walking with ex- 


208 


THE ANXIOUS MOMENT. 


treme caution. “ No break leetle stick. If you 
break leetle stick hims go right away.” 

Promising Mak that we would attend to his 
injunctions most carefully, we desired him to 
lead the way, and in a few minutes after came 
so near to where the sound of breaking sticks 
was going on that we all halted, fearing that we 
should scare the animal away before we could 
get a sight of it amongst the dense underwood. 

“ What can he be doing? ” said I to the guide, 
as we stood looking at each other for a few sec- 
onds uncertain how to act. 

“ Him’s breakin’ down branches for git at him’s 
food, ’spose.” 

“ Do you see that ? ” whispered Peterkin as he 
pointed to an open space among the bushes. 
“ Isn’t that a bit o’ the hairy brute ? ” 

“ It looks like it,” replied Jack eagerly. 

“Cluck!” ejaculated Makarooroo, making a 
peculiar, noise with his tongue. “ Dat him. 
Blaze away ! ” 

“ But it may not be a mortal part,” ob- 
jected Peterkin. “He might escape if only 
wounded.” 

“ Nebber fear. Hims come at us if hims be 
wound. Only we mus’ be ready for him.” 

“ All ready,” said Jack, cocking both barrels of 
his rifle, “now, Peterkin, a good aim. If he 
comes here he shall get a quietus.” 

All this was said in the lowest possible whis- 


THE FIRST SHOT. 


209 


pers. Peterkin took a steady aim at the part of 
the creature that was visible, and fired. 

I have gone through many wild adventures 
since then. I have heard the roar of the lion and 
the tiger in all circumstances, and the laugh of 
the hyaena, besides many other hideous sounds, 
but I never in all my life listened to any thing 
that in any degree approached in thundering 
ferocity, the appalling roar that burst upon our 
ears immediately after that shot was fired. I 
can compare it to nothing, for nothing I ever 
heard was like it. If the reader can conceive a 
human fiend endued with a voice far louder than 
that of the lion, yet retaining a little of the into- 
nation both of the man’s voice, and of what we 
should suppose a fiend’s voice to be, he may form 
some slight idea of what that roar was. It is im- 
possible to describe it. Perhaps Mak’s expres- 
sion in regard to it is the most emphatic and 
truthful, it was absolutely u horriboble ! ” Every 
one has heard a sturdy well-grown little boy 
when being thrashed, howling at the very top 
of his bent. If one can conceive of a full- 
grown male giant twenty feet high pouring forth 
his whole soul and voice with similarly unre- 
strained fervor, he may approximate to a notion 
of it. * 

And it was not uttered once or twice, but 
again and again, until the whole woods trembled 
with it, and we felt as if our ears could not en* 
18 * 


210 


GORILLA HUNT. 


dure more of it without the tympanums being 
burst. 

For several moments we stood motionless 
with our guns ready, expecting an immediate 
attack, and gazing with awe, not unmingled — 
at least on my part — with fear, at the turmoil 
of leaves and twigs and broken branches that 
was going on round the spot where the monster 
had been wounded. 

“ Come,” cried Jack at length, losing patience 
and springing forward, “ if he won’t attack us, 
we must attack him.” 

We followed close on his heels, and next mo- 
ment emerged upon a small and comparatively 
open space, in the midst of which we found the 
gorilla seated on the ground, tearing up the earth 
with its hands, grinning horribly and beating its 
chest, which sent forth a loud hollow sound as 
if it were a large drum. We saw at once that 
both its thighs had been broken by Peterkin’s 
shot. 

Of all the hideous creatures I had ever seen 
or heard of, none came up in the least degree to 
this. Apart altogether from its gigantic size, 
this monster was calculated to strike terror into 
the hearts of beholders simply by the expression 
of its visage, which was quite sataViic. I could 
scarcely persuade myself that I was awake ! It 
seemed as if I were gazing on one of those hid- 
eous creatures one beholds when oppressed with 
night-mare ! 


GORILLA HUNT. 


211 


But we had little time to indulge in contem- 
plation, for, the instant the brute beheld us, it re- 
newed its terrible roar and attempted to spring 
up, but both its legs at once gave way, and it 
fell with a passionate growl, biting the earth and 
twisting and tearing bunches of twigs and leaves 
in its fury. Suddenly it rushed upon us rapidly 
by means of its fore legs or arms. 

u Look out, Jack ! ” we cried in alarm. 

Jack stood like a rock and deliberately levelled 
his rifle. Even at this moment of intense ex- 
citement I could not help marvelling at the dimin- 
utive appearance of my friend when contrasted 
with the gorilla. In height, indeed, he was of 
course superior, and would have been so had the 
gorilla been able to stand erect, but his breadth 
of shoulder and chest, and his length and size 
of arm were strikingly inferior. Just as the 
monster approached to within three yards of him, 
Jack sent a ball into its chest, and the king of 
the African woods fell dead at our feet ! 

It is impossible to convey in words an idea of 
the gush of mingled feelings that filled our breasts 
as we stood beside and gazed at the huge car- 
case of our victim. Pity at first predominated 
in my heart, then I felt like an accomplice to a 
murder, and then an exulting sensation of joy at 
having obtained a specimen of one of the rarest 
animals in the world overwhelmed every other 
feeling. 


212 


GORILLA HUNT. 


The size of this animal — and we measured 
him very carefully — was as follows : — 

Height, 5 feet 6 inches ; girth of the chest, 4 
feet 2 inches ; spread of its arms, 7 feet 2 inches. 
Perhaps the most extraordinary measurement 
was that of the great thumb of its hind foot 
which was 5f inches in circumference. When I 
looked at this and at the great bunches of hard 
muscles which composed its brawny chest and 
arms I could almost believe in the stories, told 
by the natives, of the tremendous feats of strength 
performed by the gorilla. The body of this brute 
was covered with gray hair, but the chest was 
bare and covered with tough skin, and its face 
was intensely black. I shuddered as I looked 
upon it, for there was something terribly hu- 
man-like about it, despite the brutishness of its 
aspect. 

“ Now I’ll tell you what we shall do,” said 
Jack, after we had completed our examination 
of the gorilla. “ We will encamp where we are 
for the night, and send Makarooroo back to bring 
our fellows up with the packs, so that you, Ralph, 
will be able to begin the work of skinning and 
cleaning the bones at once. What say you ? ” 
u Agreed, with all my heart,” I replied. 

“ Well, then,” observed Peterkin, w here goes 
for a fire, to begin with, and then for victuals to 
continue with. By the way, what say you to a 
gorilla steak ? I’m told the niggers eat him. 
Don’t they, Mak ? ” 


PREPAHING A “SPECIMEN.” 


213 


11 Yis, massa, dey doos. More dan dat, de 
niggers in dis part ob country eat mans.” 

“ Eat mans ! ” echoed Peterkin in horror. 

“ Yis, eat mans, and womins, an’ childerdens.” 
“ Oh, the brutes ! But I don’t believe you, 
Mak. What are the villains called ? ” 

u Well, it not be easy for say what dem be 
called. Miss’naries calls dem canibobbles.” 

“ Ho ! ” shouted Peterkin, u canibobbles ? eh ! 
well done. Mak, I must get you to write a new 
dictionary. I think it would pay ! ” 

“ It won’t pay to go on talking like this 
though,” observed Jack. “ Come, hand me the 
axe. I’ll fell this tree while you strike a light, 
Peterkin. Be off with you, Mak. As for Ralph, 
we must leave him to his note-book, I see there 
is no chance of getting him away from his be- 
loved gorilla till he has torn its skin from its flesh, 
and its flesh from its bones.” 

Jack was right. I had now several long hours* 
work before me, which I knew could not be de- 
layed, and to which I applied myself forthwith 
most eagerly, while my comrades lit the fire and 
prepared the camp, and Makarooroo set off on 
his return journey to bring up the remainder of 
our party. 

That night, while I sat by the light jo f the 
camp fire toiling at my task, long after the others 
had retired to rest, I observed the features of 
Jack and Peterkin working convulsively, and 


214 


PREPARING A “SPECIMEN.” 


their hands clutching nervously as they slept, and 
I smiled to think of the battles with gorillas 
which ’I felt assured they must be fighting, and 
the enormous “ bags ” they would be certain to 
tell of, on returning from the realms of dream- 
land to the regions of reality. 


MORE TRACES FOUND. 


215 


CHAPTER XII. 

peterkin’s school-day reminiscences. 

The day following that on which we shot our 
first gorilla, was a great and memorable day in 
our hunting career in Africa, for on that day we 
saw no fewer than ten gorillas. Two females, 
seven young ones — one of which was a mere 
baby gorilla in its mother’s arms — and a huge 
lone male, or bachelor gorilla, as Peterkin called 
him. And of these we killed four — three young 
ones, and the old bachelor. I am happy to add 
that I saved the lives of the infant gorilla and its 
mother, as I shall presently relate. 

The portion of country through which we trav- 
elled this day was not so thickly wooded as 
that through which we had passed the day before, 
so that we advanced more easily, and enjoyed 
ourselves much as we went along. About the 
middle of the day we came to a spot where there 
were a number of wild vines, the leaves of which 
are much liked by the gorilla, so we kept a sharp 
look out for tracks. 

Soon we came upon several, as well as broken 


DISPUTATION. 


216 

branches and twigs, in which were observed the 
marks of teeth, showing that onr game had been 
there. But we passed from the wood where, 
these signs were discovered, out upon an open 
plain of considerable extent. Here we paused, 
undecided as to whether we should proceed on- 
ward, or remain there to hunt. 

u I vote for advancing,” said Peterkin, “ for 
I observe that on the other side of this plain, the 
wood seems very dense, and it is probable that 
we may find Mister Gorilla there. What think 
you, Mak ? ” 

The guide nodded in reply. 

u I move,” said Jack, “ that as the country just 
where we stand, is well watered by this little 
brook, besides being picturesque and beautiful to 
look upon, we should encamp where we are, and 
leaving our men to guard the camp, cross this 
plain — we three — take Mak along with us, and 
spend the remainder of the day in hunting.” 

“ I vote for the amendment,” said I. 

“ Then the amendment carries,” cried Jack, 
“ for in all civilized societies, most votes always 
carry ; and although we happen to be in an un- 
civilized region of the earth, we must not forget 
that we are civilized hunters. The vote of two 
hunters ought certainly to override that of one 
hunter.” 

Peterkin demurred to this at once, on the 
ground that it was unfair. 


DISPUTATION. 


217 


“ How so ? ” said I. 

M In the first place,” replied he, looking uncom- 
monly wise, and placing the point of his right 
finger in the palm of his left hand ; “ in the first 
place, I do not admit your premises, and there- 
fore I object to your conclusion. I do not admit 
that in civilized societies most votes carry — on 
the contrary, it too frequently happens that, in 
civilized societies, motions are made, seconded, 
discussed, and carried, without being put to the 
vote at all ; often they are carried without being 
n^.de, seconded, or discussed ; as when a bottle- 
nosed old gentleman in office, chooses to ignore 
the rights of men, and carry every thing his own 
way. Neither do I admit that we three are civ- 
ilized hunters ; for although it is true that I am, 
it is well-known that you, Ralph, are a philoso- 
pher, and Jack is a gorilla. Therefore I object 
to your conclusion that your two votes should 
carry, for you cannot but admit that the vote of 
one hunter ought to override that of two, such 
creatures, which would not be the case were 
there an equality existing between us.” 

“ Peterkin,” said I, “ there is fallacy in your 
reasoning.” 

“ Can you show it ? ” said he. 

“ No, the web is too much ravelled to disen- 
tangle.” 

“ Not at all,” cried Jack ; “ I can unravel it in 
a minute, and settle the whole question by prov- 
19 


218 


DISPUTATION. 


ing that there does exist an equality between us 
for it is well known, and generally admitted by 
all his friends, and must be acknowledged by 
himself, that Peterkin is an ass.” 

“ Even admitting that,” rejoined Peterkin, “ it 
still remains to be proved that a philosopher, a 
gorilla, and an ass are equal. Of course I be- 
lieve the latter to be superior to both the former 
animals ; but in consideration of the lateness of 
the hour, and the able manner in which you have 
discussed this subject, I beg to withdraw my 
motion, and to state that I am ready to accom- 
pany you over the plain as soon as you please.” 

At this point, our conversation was interrupted 
by the shriek of a small monkey, which had been 
sitting all the time among the branches of the 
tree beneath which we stood. 

“ I declare it has been listening to us,” cried 
Peterkin. 

“ Yes, and is shouting in triumph at your de- 
feat,” added Jack. 

As he spoke, Makarooroo fired, and the mon- 
key fell to the ground almost at our feet. 

“ Alas ! it has paid a heavy price for its laugh,” 
said Peterkin, in a tone of sadness. 

The poor thing was mortally wounded ; so 
much so, that it could not even cry. It looked 
up with a very piteous expression in our faces. 
Placing its hand on its side, it coughed once or 
twice, then, lying down on its back, and stretch- 


A MONKEY SHOT. 


219 


ing itself out quite straight, it closed its eyes and 
died. 

I never could bear to shoot monkeys. There 
was something so terribly human-like in their 
sufferings, that I never could witness the death 
of one without feeling an almost irresistible in- 
clination to weep. Sometimes, when short of 
provisions, I was compelled to shoot monkeys, 
but I did so as seldom as possible, and once I 
resolved to go supperless to bed rather than 
shoot one whose aspect was so sad and gentle, 
that I had not the heart to kill it. My compan- 
ions felt as I did in this matter, and we endeav- 
ored to restrain Makarooroo as much as possible, 
but he could not understand our feelings, and 
when he got a chance of a shot, almost invaria- 
bly forgot our injunctions to let monkeys alone, 
unless we were absolutely ill off for food. To do 
him justice, however, I must, add that we were 
at this particular time not overburdened with 
provisions, and the men were much pleased to 
have the prospect of a roast monkey for sup- 
per. 

Having given our men a little tobacco, a gift 
which caused th§ir black faces to beam with de- 
light, we shouldered our rifles, and set off across 
the plain towards the thick wood, which was not 
more than five miles distant — if so much. 

It was a beautiful scene — this plain with its 
clumps of trees scattered over it like islands in a 


220 


BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. 


lake, and its profusion of wild flowers. The 
weather, too, was delightful ; cooler than usual, 
and there was a freshness in the ah' which caused 
us to feel light of heart, while the comparative 
shortness of the grass enabled us to proceed on 
our way with light steps. As we walked along 
for some time in silence, I thought upon the 
goodness and the provident care of the Creator of 
our world, for during my brief sojourn in Africa 
I had observed many instances of wonderful ex- 
actness with which things in nature were suited 
to the circumstances in which they were placed, 
and the bountiful provision that was made every- 
where for man and beast Yet I must confess I 
could not help wondering, and felt very much 
perplexed, when I thought of the beautiful scenes 
in the midst of which I moved, being inhabited 
only by savage men, who seemed scarcely to 
appreciate the blessings by which they were sur- 
rounded, and who violated constantly all the 
laws of Him by whom they were created. My 
meditations were interrupted by Jack saying, — 

“ I cannot help wondering why that poor mon- 
key kept so still all the time we were talking. 
One would think that it should have been fright- 
ened away just as we came under the tree.” 

“ I have no doubt,” said I, “ that although of 
course it could not understand what we said, yet 
it was listening to us.” 

u I’m not so certain that it did not understand,” 


OPINION ON BOYS. 


221 


observed Peterkin. « Yon know that sailors 
believe that monkeys could speak if they chose, 
but they don’t for fear that they should be made 
to work ! ” 

“ Well, whatever truth there may be in that, 
of this I am certain, they are the most deceptive 
creatures that exist.” 

“I don’t agree with you,” rejoined Peterkin. 
“ It’s my opinion that little boys are the greatest 
deceivers living.” 

u What! all little boys ? ” exclaimed Jack. 

“ No — not all. I have not so bad an opinion 
of the race as that. I’ve had a good deal to do 
with boys during my naval career, and among 
the middies of Her Majesty’s navy I have met 
with as fine little chaps as one would wish to 
see, — regular bricks, afraid of nothing (except 
of doing any thing that would be thought sneak- 
ing or shabby), ready to dare any thing — to 
attack a seventy-four single-handed in a punt or 
a bumboat if need be ; nevertheless, I’ve met 
boys, and a good many of them too, who would 
beat all the monkeys in Africa at sneaking and 
deceiving. I remember one rascal, who went to 
the same school with me, who was a wonder- 
fully plausible deceiver. I can’t help laughing 
yet when I think of the curious way he took to 
free himself of the restraint of school. 

“ How was it ? ” cried Jack ; “ tell us about it 
— do.” 


19 * 


222 


peterkin’s story. 


w Well, you must know,” began Peterkin, 

“ that this boy was what Jack tars would call a 
‘ great, stupid, lubberly fellow.’ He was a very 
fair-haired, white eye-lashed sort of a chap, that - 
seemed to grow at such a rate that he was al- 
ways too big for his clothes, and showed an un- 
usual amount of wrist and ankle even for a boy. 
Most people who met him thought him a very 
stupid boy at first ; but those who came to know 
him well found that he was rather a sharp clever 
fellow, but a remarkably sly dog. We called 
him Doddle. 

“ His mother was a widow, and he was an 
only son, and had been spoiled, of course, so 
that he was not put to school till he was nearly 
twelve years of age. He had been at several 
schools before coming to ours, but had been 
deemed by each successive schoolmaster a hope- 
less imbecile. And he was so mischievous that 
they advised his poor mother to take him away 
and try if she could not instil a little knowledge 
into him herself. The old lady was a meek, sim- 
ple body, and quite as stupid as her hopeful son 
appeared to be. Hearing that our master was a 
sharp fellow, and somewhat noted as a good 
manager of obstreperous boys, she brought him 
to our school as a last resource, and having in- 
troduced him to the master, went her way. 

“ It was near the end of play hour when she 
brought him, so he was turned out into the play- 


peterkin’s story. 


223 


ground, and stood there looking like a mongrel 
cur turned unexpectedly into a kennel of pointers. 

“ 1 Well, Doddle/ said one of the sixth form 
boys, going up and addressing him for the first 
time by the name which stuck to him ever after, 
4 where did you grow ; mid who cut you down 
and tossed you in here ? ” 

“ 1 Eh ? ’ said Doddle, looking sheepish. 

“ 1 What’s your name, man, and where did you 
come from, and how old are you, and how far 
can you jump without a race? and in fact I 
want to know all about you.’ 

“ ‘ My name’s Tommy Thompson,’ replied the 
boy, 1 and I — ’ 

“ At that moment the bell rang, and the re- 
mainder of his sentence was drowned in the 
rush of the rest of us to the class room. 

w When all was quiet, the master called Dod- 
dle up, and said, 4 Well, Thompson my boy, your 
mother tells me you have learned a little gram- 
mar and a little arithmetic. I hope that we 
shall instil into you a good deal of those branches 
of learning, and of many others besides, ere long. 
Let me hear what you can do — ’ 

“ c I can play hockey and dumps,’ began Dod- 
dle, in a sing-song tone, and with the most un- 
commonly innocent expression of visage ; ‘ an’ I 
caa — ’ 

“ < Stay, boy,’ interrupted the master, smiling, 
I do not want to know what you can play at. 


224 


peterkin’s story. 


Keep silence, until I put a few questions to you. 
What is English grammar ? 9 
“‘Eh?’ 

“ ‘ Don’t say “ eh ! ” When you fail to under- 
stand me, say “ sir ? ” interrogatively. What is 
English grammar ? ” 

“ ‘ It’s a book.’ 

“ The master looked over the top of his specta- 
cles at Doddle in surprise. 

“ ‘ English grammar,’ said he, slowly, and with 
a slight touch of sternness, ‘ is indeed con- 
tained in a book ; but I wish to know what it 
teaches.’ 

“ ‘ Eh ? — a — I mean sir interrogatively.’ 

“ ‘ What does English grammar teach , boy ? 9 
cried the master angrily. 

“ Doddle laid hold of his chin with his right 
hand, and looked down at the floor with an air 
of profound thought, saying slowly in an under- 
tone to himself, ‘ What — does — English — 
grammar — teach — teach — - grammar — teach. 
It — teaches — a — I don’t know what it teaches. 
Perhaps you can tell me, sir ? ’ 

“ He looked up, and uttered the last sentence 
with such an air of blank humility, that we all 
had to cram our pocket handkerchiefs into our 
mouths to prevent a universal explosion. The 
master looked over his spectacles again at Dod- 
dle w ith an expression of unutterable amaze- 
ment. We looked on with breathless interest, 


peterkin’s story. 


225 


not unmingled with awe, for we expected some 
awful outbreak on the part of the master, who 
seemed quite unable to make up his mind what 
to do or say, but continued to stare for nearly a 
minute at the boy, who replied to the stare with 
a humble idiotic smile. 

“ Suddenly the master said, sharply, ‘ how 
much are seven times nine ? ’ 

u 6 Five hundred and forty-two and a half/ 
answered Doddle, without a moment’s hesita- 
tion. 

“ The master did not look surprised this time, 
but he took Doddle by the shoulder, and drawing 
him towards his chair, looked earnestly into his 
face. Then he said quietly, ‘ That will do, 
Thompson, go to your seat.’ 

“ This was all that occurred at that time. 
During a whole week the master tried by every 
means to get Doddle to learn something ; but 
Doddle could learn nothing. Yet he seemed to 
try. He pored over his book, and muttered with 
his lips, and sometimes looked anxiously up at 
the c.eiling, with an expression of agony on his 
face, that seemed to indicate a tremendous, men- 
tal effort. Every species of inducement was 
tried ; and occasionally, punishment was resorted 
to. He was kept in at play-hours, and put in a 
corner during school-hours ; and once, the mas- 
ter having lost patience with him, he was flogged. 
But it was all one to Doddle. All the methods 


226 


peterkin’s story. 


tried proved unavailing. He could not be got to 
acquire a single lesson, and often gave such re- 
markable answers that we all believed him to be 
mad. 

44 On the Monday forenoon of his second week 
at the school, the master called him up again for 
examination. 

44 4 Now, Thompson/ he began, 4 you have 
been a long time over that lesson ; let us see 
how much of it you have learned. What is ety- 
mology ? ’ 

44 4 Etymology,’ answered Doddle, 4 is — is — 
an irregular pronoun.’ 

44 4 Boy ! ’ cried the master sternly. 

44 4 Please, sir,’ pleaded Doddle, with a depreca- 
tory air, 4 I — I suppose I was thinkin’ o’ one o’ 
the other mologies, — not the etty one.’ 

44 4 Hah ! ’ ejaculated the master, 4 well ; tell me 
how many parts of speech are there ? ” 

44 4 Nineteen,’ answered the boy, quite confi- 
dently. 

44 4 Oh ! ’ exclaimed the master, with a good 
deal of sarcasm in his tone, 4 pray name them.’ 

44 In a very sing-song voice, and with an air of 
anxious simplicity, Doddle began, 4 Article, noun, 
adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, con- 
junction, inteijection, outerjection, beginning with 
i-e-s in the plural ; as, baby, babies ; lady, ladies ; 
hady, hadies — please, sir, isn’t that last one a 
had word ? ’ 


peterkin’s story. 


227 


u 4 The boy is a lunatic ! ’ muttered the master. 

il The boys in the class were far past laughing 
now ^ we were absolutely stunned. The master 
seemed perplexed, for Doddle was gazing at him 
with a look of mild self-satisfaction. 

“ 4 I say, Peterkin,’ whispered the boy next to 
me, 4 as sure as you’re alive, that boy’s shamming 
stupid.’ 

“ Presently the master, who had been turning 
over the leaves of the grammar in a way that 
showed he was not conscious of what he was 
about, looked up, and said abruptly, 4 What is a 
proper noun ? ’ 

44 4 A well-behaved one,’ replied Doddle. 

44 At this the whole school tittered violently. 

44 4 Silence, boys,’ cried the master, in a tone 
that produced the desired effect so thoroughly, 
that you might have heard a pin drop. Then 
laying his hand on Doddle’s shoulder, he looked 
him full in the face, and said solemnly, 4 Thomp- 
son, I have found you out. Go, sir, to your seat, 
and remain behind, when the other boys go to 
the play-ground.’ 

44 We observed that Doddle grew very red in 
the face as he came back to his seat, and during 
the rest of the hour he never once looked up. 

44 During the whole of the play-hour the mas- 
ter and he remained shut up together in the 
6chool-room. We never discovered what took 
place there between them, for neither threats nor 


228 


peterkin’s story. 


coaxing could induce Doddle afterwards to speak 
on the subject; but from that day forward he 
was a changed boy. He not only learned his 
lessons, but he learned them well, and in the 
course of time became one of the best scholars 
in the school ; so that although he never would 
admit it, we all came to the conclusion he had 
been shamming stupid, — attempting to deceive 
the master into the belief that he was incurable, 
and thus manage to get rid of lessons and school 
altogether.” 

“ A most remarkable boy,” observed Jack when 
Peterkin concluded. “ Certainly he beat the 
monkeys hollow.” 

“ I wonder/’ said I, “ what the master said or 
did to him that wrought such a mighty change.” 

“ Don’t know,” replied Peterkin. “ I suppose 
he told him that now he had found him out, he 
would flay him alive if he didn’t give in, or 
something of that sort.” 

We had now entered the dark forest that 
edged the plain over which we had been walking, 
and further conversation on this subject was 
stopped, and the subject itself banished utterly 
from our minds, by the loud, startling cry of a 
gorilla at no great distance from us. 

“ Hist! that’s him,” whispered Peterkin. 

Instantly throwing our rifles into a position of 
readiness, we pushed rapidly through the under- 
wood in the direction whence the cry had cpme. 


A GORILLA FAMILY. 


229 


CHAPTER XIII. 

WE GET INTO “THE THICK OF IT ” — GREAT 
SUCCESS. 

In a few minutes we came upon a female go- 
rilla, which, all unconscious of our approach, was 
sitting at the foot of a vine, eating the leaves. 
There were four young ones beside her, engaged 
in the same occupation. In order to approach 
within shot of these, we had to creep on all-fours 
through the brushwood with the greatest caution, 
for gorillas are sharp-sighted, and they have a 
remarkably acute sense of hearing, so that some- 
times the breaking of a dry twig under one’s 
foot is sufficient to alarm them. 

We did not venture to speak even in whispers 
as we advanced. But by a sign Jack told Peter- 
kin to take the lead. Jack himself followed, 
Makarooroo went next, and I brought up the 
rear. 

In all our hunting expeditions we usually 
maintained this arrangement where it was nec- 
essary. Peterkin was assigned the post of honor, 
because he was the best shot ; Jack, being next 
20 


230 


ATTACK ON A GORILLA FAMILY. 


best, came second ; and I came last, not because 
our guide was a better shot than I, but because 
he was apt to get excited, and to act rashly, so 
that he required looking after. I was at all 
times ready to lay hold of him by the hair of his 
woolly head, which, as he was nearly naked, was 
the only part of him that one could grasp with 
any degree of firmness. 

After creeping in this manner for some dis- 
tance, we got within range. Peterkin and Jack 
took aim and fired together. The old gorilla 
and one of the young ones fell instantly, and 
from their not struggling, it was evident that 
they were shot quite dead. The guide and I 
fired immediately after, but only the one that I 
fired at fell. The other two ran off as fast as 
they could. Sometimes they ran on all-fours; 
and I observed that while running in this fashion, 
the hind legs passed between the arms, or, as it 
were, overstepped them. Occasionally, however, 
they rose and ran on their hind legs, in a stoop- 
ing position. 

When they did this, I was particularly struck 
with their grotesque, yet strong, resemblance to 
man ; and I do not think that I could at that 
time have prevailed upon myself to fire at them. 
I should have felt like a murderer. In truth, my 
thoughts and sensations just then were any 
thing but agreeable. Nevertheless I was so ex- 
cited by the chase, that I am quite certain no 


BEATEN IN A RACE. 


231 


one, to look at me, could have guessed what was 
passing in my mind. 

We ran as rapidly as was possible in such a 
tangled forest, but we had no chance with the 
young gorillas. Peterkin at last ran himself 
out of breath. Stopping suddenly, he said, pant- 
ingly — 

“ ‘ It’s — o’ — no use whatever. Ho ! dear me, 
my bellows are about exploded.” 

u We’ve no chance in a race with these hairy 
men,” responded Jack, as he wiped the perspira- 
tion from his forehead. “ Why did you miss, 
Mak?” 

“’Cause me no could hit, ’spose, massa.” 

“ Very justly and modestly said,” remarked 
Peterkin, with an approving nod. “ ’Tis a pity 
that men are not more generally animated with 
your spirit, Mak. Most people, when they do 
wrong, or make a mistake, are too apt to try to 
excuse themselves.” 

“ Yes,” I added with a laugh ; “ particularly 
when they blow the tails out of ostriches.” 

Peterkin shook his head, and said solemnly, 

“ Ralph, my boy, don’t take to joking. It don’t 
agree with your constitution. You’ll get ill, if 
you do ; and we can’t afford to have you laid 
up on our hands, in these out-o’-the- way regions.” 

“ Come, now, let us back to the gorillas and 
secure them, lest their comrades carry them 
away,” said Jack, turning to retrace our steps. 


232 


GORILLA MAMMA AND BABY. 


I was anxious to shoot as many gorillas as 
possible, in order that I might study the pecu- 
liarities of, and differences existing between, the 
different species, — if there should be such, — 
and between various individuals of the same 
species in all stages of development. I had made 
an elaborate examination of our first gorilla, and 
had taken copious notes in regard to it. Being 
desirous of doing the same as far as possible 
with the female and the two young ones we had 
just killed, I hastened back with my companions, 
and we fastened them securely among the 
branches of a conspicuous tree, intending to 
send out some of our men for them on our return 
to camp. 

After this we resumed our search for more, 
but wandered about for several hours without 
meeting with any, although we observed recently 
made foot-prints in abundance. We went as 
nearly as possible in a direction parallel to our 
camp, so that although we walked far, we did 
not increase our distance from it to any great 
extent. 

Presently Makarooroo made a peculiar “ cluck ” 
with his tongue, and we all came to an abrupt 
stand. 

“ What is’t, Mak?” 

The negro did not speak, but pointed eagerly 
in front of him, while the whites of his eyes 
seemed to sparkle with animation, and raised his 
gun to shoot. 


I SAVE THE MAMMA AND BABY. 


233 


We came up at the moment, and through an 
opening in the bushes saw what he was about 
to fire at. It was a female gorilla, with a baby- 
gorilla in her arms. Fierce and hairy though 
she was, there was a certain air of tenderness 
about this mother, as she stroked and pawed her 
little one, that went straight to the heart, and 
caused me almost involuntarily to raise my arm 
and strike up the muzzle of Makarooroo’s gun, 
at the moment he pulled the trigger. The con- 
sequence of this act was that the ball passed 
close over their heads. The report of the piece 
was instantly followed by a roar of consternation, 
mingled with rage, from the mother, and a shriek 
of terror from the baby, which, again was imme- 
diately followed by a burst of laughter from us, 
as we beheld the little baby clasp its arms 
tightly round its mother, while she scampered 
wildly away from us. 

Mak looked at me in amazement. 

“ What for you be do dat, massa ? ” 

“ To prevent you from committing murder, 
you rascal, : ” said I, laughing. “ Have you no 
feelings of natural pity or tenderness, that you 
could coolly aim at such a loving pair as that ? ” 
The guide seemed a little put out by this re- 
mark, and went on re-loading his gun without 
making reply. He had received enough of 
moral education at the mission stations, to ap- 
preciate to some extent, the feelings by which I 
20 * 


234 


DISPUTATIONS AGAIN. 


was actuated ; yet he had been so long accus- 
tomed, and so early inured, to harsh, unfeeling 
deeds, that the only idea that probably occurred 
to him on seeing this mother and her baby was, 
how near he could get to them in order to make 
sure of his aim. 

“ Ah ! Ralph,” said Jack, as we resumed our 
march, “ you’re too tender-hearted, my boy, for a 
hunter in Africa. There you’ve lost a chance of 
getting a gorilla baby, which you have been de- 
siring.so much the last few days, and which you 
might have stuck in a bottle of spirits, and sent 
home to be held up to universal admiration in 
Piccadilly, who knows.” 

“ Ay, who knows ? ” echoed Peterkin. “ I 
think it more probable, however, that it would 
be held up to universal ridicule. Besides, you 
forget that we have no spirits to preserve it in, 
except , our own, which I admit are pretty high, 
— a good deal over-proof, considering the cir- 
cumstances in which we are placed, and the un- 
heard-of trials we have to endure. I’m sure I 
don’t know whatever induced me to come, as a 
Scotch cousin of mine once said, 1 so far frae my 
ain fire-side,’ to endure trials. I do believe I’ve 
had more trials since I came to this outrageous 
land than all the criminals of the last century in 
England put together have had.” 

“ Peterkin,” said I, seriously, “ trials are a de- 
cided benefit and blessing to mankind — ” 


DISPUTATIONS AGAIN. 


235 


“ Oh, of course,” interrupted Peterkin ; u but 
then, as you have often retorted upon me that I 
am of the monkey kind, I think that I could get 
on pretty well without them.” 

“ My 'opinion is that they are good both for 
man and monkey,” said Jack. “Just consider, 
now, it must have been a terrible trial for yon 
gorilla-mamma to hear a bullet pass within an 
inch of her head, and have her sweet little dar- 
ling frightened almost out of its wits. Well, but 
just think of the state of satisfaction and rejoic- 
ing that she must be in now at having escaped. 
Had it not been for that trial she would now 
have been in her ordinary hum-drum condition. 
I quite agree with Ralph that trials are really a 
blessing to us.” 

“ I declare it is quite refreshing to hear that 
you 1 agree ’ with anybody, Jack,” rejoined Peter- 
kin in a tone of sarcasm. “ Perhaps Mr. Rover 
will kindly enlarge on this most interesting sub- 
ject, and give us the benefit of his wisdom, and 
Mak, you lump of ebony, do you keep a sharp 
look-out for gorillas in the mean time.” 

The guide, whose appreciation of fun was 
very considerable, said, “ Yis, massa,” grinned 
from ear to ear, in doing which he displayed a 
double row of tremendous white teeth, and pre- 
tended to be gazing earnestly among the bushes 
on either side in search of game, as he followed 
us. The moment we began to talk, however, I 


236 


DISPUTATIONS AGAIN. 


observed that he came close up behind, and lis- 
tened with all his ears. If eager expansion indi- 
cates any thing, I may add that he listened with 
all his eyes too ! 

“ I shall have much pleasure in obliging you, 
Peterkin,” said I, with a smile. “ And in the 
first place — ” 

“ O Ralph, I entreat you,” interrupted Peter- 
kin, “ do not begin w*th a ‘ first place' "When 
men begin a discourse with that, however many 
intermediate places they may have to roam 
about in and enlarge on, they never have a place 
of any kind to terminate in, but go skimming 
along with a couple of dozen ‘lastlys,’ like a 
stone thrown over the surface of a pond ! which, 
after the first two or three big and promising 
bounds, spends itself in an endless succession of 
twittering ripples, and finally sinks, somehow or 
nohow, into oblivion ! ” 

“ Ahem ! Shakspeare ? ” said Jack. 

“ Not at all,” retorted Peterkin. “ If anybody 
gave utterance to the sentiment before, it was 
Shelley, and he must have been on the sea-shore 
at the time with a crotchet, if not a crab, inside 
of him. But pray go on, Ralph.” 

“ Well, then, in the first place,” I repeated with 
emphasis, whereat Peterkin sighed, “ trials, when 
endured in a proper spirit, improve our moral 
nature and strengthen our hearts ; the result of 
which is, that we are incited to more vigorous 


DISPUTATIONS AGAIN. 


237 


mental, and, by consequence, physical exertion, 
so that our nervous system is strengthened and 
our muscular powers are increased.” 

“ Very- well put, indeed,” cried Peterkin. 
“ Now, Ralph, try to forget your ‘ secondly/ 
omit your ‘ thirdly,’ throw your ‘ fourthly ’ to the 
winds, and let your ‘first place’ be your ‘last 
place,’ and I’ll give you credit for being a wise 
and effective speaker.” 

I gave in to my volatile friend at that time, as 
I saw that he would not allow me to go on, and, 
to say truth, I thought that I had exhausted my 
subject. But, after all, Peterkin did not require 
to be incited either to good thoughts or good 
actions. With all his exuberant fun and jocu- 
larity he was at bottom one of the most earnest 
and attached friends I ever possessed. I have 
lived to know that his superficial lightness of 
character overlaid as deeply earnest and sympa- 
thetic a spirit as ever existed. 

While we were thus conversing and wander- 
ing through the forest, we again came upon the 
fresh tracks of a gorilla, and from their great size 
we conjectured them to be those of a solitary 
male. It is a remarkable fact that among sev- 
eral of the lower animals we find specimens of 
that unnatural class of creatures which, among 
men, are termed old bachelors ! Among the 
gorillas these solitaires are usually very large, 
remarkably fierce, uncommonly ugly, desperately 


238 


FRESH TRACKS. 


vindictive, and peculiarly courageous ; so much 
so that the natives hold them in special dread. 
It is of these wild men of the woods that their 
most remarkable and incredible stories are re- 
lated. 

“ I don’t think it’s a gorilla at all,” said Jack, 
stooping down to examine the footprints, which 
in that place were not very distinct, “ I think an 
elephant or a rhinoceros must have passed this 
way.” 

“ No, massa, them’s not deep ’nuff for dat. 
Hims be a gorilla, — a bery big one, too.” 

“ Don’t let us talk then, lest we should scare 
it,” whispered Peterkin. “ Lead the way, Mak ; 
and mind, when we come close enough, move 
your great carcase out of the way and let me to 
the front.” 

“ No, no, lad,” said Jack. “ Fair play. It’s 
my turn now.” 

“ So be it, my boy. But get on.” 

The tracks led us a considerable distance 
deeper into the wood, where the trees became so 
thick that only a species of twilight penetrated 
through* them. To add to our discomfort, the 
light we knew would soon fail us altogether, as 
evening was drawing on apace, so we quickened 
our pace to a smart run. 

We had not proceeded far when we were 
brought to a sudden stand-still by one of those 
awfully loud and savage roars, which we at 


A LONE MALE. 


239 


once recognized as being that of a gorilla. It 
sounded like what we might term barking thun- 
der, and from its intensity we were assured that 
our conjectures, as to the creature being a soli- 
tary male gorilla were correct. 

“ Dat him, massas ! ” cried our guide quickly, 
at the same time cocking both barrels of his rifle. 
“ Look hout ! we no hab to go after him no 
more. Him’s come to fight us. Most always 
doos dat — de big ole gorilla.” 

We saw from the deeply earnest expression of 
the negro’s countenance that he felt himself now 
to be in a very serious position, which would 
demand all his nerve and coolness. 

Again the roar was repeated with terrible 
loudness and ferocity, and we heard something 
like the beating of a huge bass drum, mingled 
with the crackling of branches, as though some 
heavy creature were forcing its way through the 
underw^ood toward us. 

We were all much impressed with this beat- 
ing sound, and, as is often the case when men 
are startled by sounds which they cannot account 
for, we were more filled with the dread of this 
incomprehensible sound than of the gorilla 
which we knew was approaching us. We 
might, indeed, have asked an explanation from 
Makarooroo, but we were all too much excited 
and anxious just then to speak. 

We drew together in a group. 


240 


A LONE MALE. 


Jack, who stood a little in front of us, having 
claimed the first shot, was whispering some- 
thing about its being a pity there was so little 
light, when his voice was drowned by a repetition 
of the roar, so appalling that we each started, 
feeling as though it had been uttered close to 
our ears. Next instant the bushes in front of us 
were torn aside, and the most horrible monster 
I ever saw, or hope to set eyes on, stood before 
us. 

He was evidently one of the largest sized go- 
rillas. In the gloom of the forest he appeared 
to us to be above six feet high. His jet black 
visage was working with an expression of rage 
that was fearfully satanic. His eyes glared hor- 
ribly. The tuft of hair on the top of his head 
rose and fell with the working of his low 
wrinkled forehead in a manner that peculiarly 
enhanced the ferocity of his expression. His 
great hairy body seemed much too large for his 
misshapen legs, and his enormous arms much 
too long for the body. It was with the fists at 
the ends of those muscular arms that he beat 
upon his bulky chest and produced the unac- 
countable sounds above referred to. As he stood 
there uttering roar upon roar, — apparently with 
the view of screwing up his courage to attack 
us, — displaying his great canine teeth, and ad- 
vancing slowly, step by step, I felt a mingling of 
powerful emotions such as I had never felt before 


THE ANXIOUS MOMENT. 


241 


in all my life, and such as cannot by any possi- 
bility be adequately described. 

I felt quite self-possessed, however, and stood 
beside my comrades with my rifle ready and my 
finger on the trigger. 

“ Now,” whispered Peterkin. But Jack did 
not move. 

“ Now ! ” said he again more anxiously, as the 
immense brute advanced, beating its chest and 
roaring, to within eight yards of us. Still 
Jack did not move, and I observed that it was 
as much as Peterkin could do to restrain him- 
self. 

As it took the next step, and appeared about 
to spring, Jack pulled the trigger. The cap 
alone exploded ! Like a flash of light the other 
trigger was pulled ; it also failed ! Some moist- 
ure must have got into the nipples in loading. 
Almost as quick as thought Jack hurled his 
piece at the brute with a force which seemed to 
me irresistible. The butt struck it full in the 
chest, but the rifle was instantly caught in its 
iron gripe. At that moment Peterkin fired, and* 
the gorilla dropped like a stone, uttering a heavy 
groan as it fell prone with its face to the earth, 

- — not, however, before it had broken Jack’s rifle 
across, and twisted the barrel as if it had been 
merely a piece of wire ! 

“ That was a narrow escape, Jack,” said I 
seriously, after we had recovered from the state 
21 


242 


NARROW ESCAPE. 


of agitation into which this scene had thrown 
us. 

u Indeed it was ; and thanks to Peterkin’s 
ever ready rifle that it was an escape at all. 
"What a monstrous brute ! ” 

“ Much bigger than the first one,” said Peter- 
kin. “ Where is your measure, Ralph ? Out 
with it.” 

I pulled out my measure, and, applying it to 
the prostrate carcase, found that the gorilla we 
had now shot was five feet eight inches in 
height, and proportionately large round the 
chest. It seemed to be a mass of sinews and 
hard muscles, and as I gazed at its massive 
limbs I could well imagine that it had strength 
sufficient to perform many, at least, if not all 
of the wonderful feats ascribed to it by the na- 
tives. 

Shortly after the death of the gorilla night 
settled down upon the scene, so we hurried back 
toward our camp, where we arrived much ex- 
hausted, yet greatly elated, by our successful 
day’s sport. 

I spent a great part of that night making 
entries in my note-book, by the light of our 
. camp fires, while my companions slept. And, 
truly, I enjoyed such quiet hours after days of 
so great mental and physical excitement. I 
observed, also, that the negroes enjoyed those 
seasons exceedingly. They sat round the blaze, 


AFTER THE VICTORY. 


243 


talking and laughing, and recounting, I have no 
doubt, their feats of daring by flood and field ; 
then, when they began to grow sleepy, they sat 
there swaying to and fro, making an occasional 
remark until they became too sleepy even for 
that, when they began to nod and wink and 
start, and almost fell into the fire, so unwilling 
did they seem to tear themselves away from it, 
even for the distance of the few feet they re* 
quired to draw back in order to enable them to 
lie down. At last Nature could hold out no 
longer, and, one by one, they dropped back in 
their places. 

I, too, began to nod at last, and to make 
entries in my note-book which were too dis- 
jointed at last to be comprehensible, so I finally 
resigned myself to repose, — and to dream, as a 
matter of course ! 


244 


REFLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

OUR PLANS ARE SUDDENLY ALTERED WICKED 

DESIGNS DISCOVERED. 

For several weeks after this, we wandered 
about in the woods searching for gorillas. We 
were very successful, and shot so many that I 
had the satisfaction of making elaborate notes 
of specimens of nearly all ages and kinds. 

But an event was looming in the future, which 
we little thought of, and which ultimately com- 
pelled us to abandon the gorilla country, and re- 
trace our steps towards the southern part of the 
continent. 

One day we set out, as was our wont, to hunt 
for gorillas, accompanied only by our faithful fol- 
lower, Markarooroo. It chanced to be a lovely 
day, and the country through which we were pass- 
ing was exceedingly beautiful, so that we found 
more pleasure at that time in conversing together 
on the beauties of nature, and on the wonderful 
works of nature’s God, than in contemplating 
our chances of falling in with game. 



\ 


REFLECTIONS. 


245 


“ It’s a splendid country,” said Jack, as we 
walked along under the shade of some magnifi- 
cent ebony trees. “ I wish that it were inhabited 
by a Christian people. Perhaps this may be the 
case one of these days, but I don’t think we shall 
live to see it.” 

“ There’s no saying, Jack,” observed Peterkin. 
“ Does not the Bible speak of a 1 nation being 
born in a day ? ’ Of course that must be figura- 
tive language, nevertheless it must mean some- 
thing, and I incline to think that it means that 
there shall be a time when men shall flock rap- 
idly, and in unusually great numbers, to the Sav- 
iour.” 

“ It may be so,” observed I, “ but I have made 
up my mind on this point, that Christian people 
are not sufficiently awake to the terrible condi- 
tion of the natives of countries such as this, or 
to the fact that they have much in their power 
to do for the amelioration of both their temporal 
and spiritual welfare. I, for one, will, if spared 
to return* home, contribute more largely than 
I have been wont to do, to the cause of mis- 
sions.” 

“ Talking of that,” said Peterkin, “ do you 
think it right to support the missions of other 
churches besides your own ? ” 

“ Do I think it right ? ” I exclaimed in surprise ; 
“ of course I do. I think it one of the greatest 
evils that can befall a Christian, that he should 
21* 


246 


A MEETING. 


become so narrow-minded, as to give only to his 
own church, and think only of his own church’s 
missions. Why, surely a soul saved, if a matter of 
rejoicing in heaven, ought to be a matter of joy 
on earth, without reference to the particular church, 
which was the instrument used by the Holy Spirit 
for that end. I feel very strongly that all Chris- 
tians who love our Saviour with deep sincerity, 
must of necessity have a warm feeling toward 
his people in all churches. At any rate, we ought 
to cultivate such a feeling.” 

u Who can these be ? ” cried Jack, stopping 
and pointing to some figures that appeared to be 
approaching us in the distance. 

“ They are negroes, at any rate,” said I, 
“for they seem to be black, and are evidently 
naked.” 

“ Warriors, too, if I mistake not. They have 
not yet observed us. Shall we hide, and let 
them pass ? ” 

Jack hesitated a moment, then leaping behind 
a bush, cried, — 

“ Ay, ’tis well to be cautious when nothing is 
to be gained by daring. These fellows out-num- 
ber us, and war-parties are not to be trusted, at 
least not if these of Africa resemble those of 
North America.” 

“ Hallo ! there’s a white man with them,” 
cried Peterkin, as he peeped over the bushes be- 
hind which we were hid. 


WAR THREATENED. 


247 


11 Yon don’t say so, — eh ! So there is. 
Come, we have nothing to fear from the party 
of a traveller. What, Mak, you shake your 
head. What mean you ? ” 

Makarooroo increased the shaking of his head, 
and said, “ Me no know dot , massa. Praps hab 
more to fear dan you tink.” 

“ Oh, stuff! come along. Why, Mak, it seems 
as if gorilla-hunting had failed to improve your 
courage.” 

As Jack said this, he stepped out from among 
the bushes, and advanced to meet the strangers. 
Of course we all followed, and, although we car- 
ried our rifles in a careless manner, as if we ex- 
pected no evil, yet we held ourselves in readiness 
to take instant action if necessary. 

The moment the negroes perceived us, they 
set up a great shout, and brandished their spears 
and guns, but the voice of their leader was in- 
stantly heard commanding them to halt. They 
obeyed at once, and the European stranger ad- 
vanced alone to meet us. As he drew near we 
observed that he was a splendid looking man, 
nearly as large as Jack himself, with a handsome 
figure, and a free off-hand gait. But on coming 
closer, we saw that his countenance, though 
handsome, wore a forbidding stern expression. 

u Dat am a slabe dealer,” whispered c ur 
guide, as the stranger came up and saluted us in 
French. 


248 


A PORTUGUESE TRADER. 


Jack replied in the same language, but on 
learning that we were Englishmen, he began to 
talk in our own tongue, although he evidently 
understood very little of it. 

“ Do you travel alone with the natives ? ” in- 
quired Jack, after a few preliminary remarks. 

“ Yaas, sair, I does,” replied the stranger, who 
was a Portuguese trader, according to his own 
account. 

“ You seem to carry little or no merchandise 
with you,” said Jack, glancing towards the party 
of natives who stood at some distance looking at 
us, and conversing together eagerly. 

“ I has none wis me, true, bot I has moche not 
ver far off. I bees go just now to seek for ivory, 
and ebony, and sl-a, — w’at you call him ? bar- 
wood.” 

The man corrected himself quickly, but the slip 
confirmed Makarooroo’s remark, and our own sus- 
picions that he was a slave-dealer. 

“ De day is far gone,” he continued, putting as 
amiable a smile on his countenance as possible, 
“ Per-haps you vill stop and we have dine to- 
gedder.” 

Although we did not much like the appear- 
ance of our new friend or his party, we felt that 
it would be uncourteous .in so wild a country, 
where we had so few chances of meeting with 
white faces, to refuse, so we agreed. A camp 
fire was speedily kindled, and the two parties 


UNACCOUNTABLE SYMPTOMS. 


249 


mingled together, and sat down amicably to dis- 
cuss roast monkey and venison steaks together. 

During the course of the meal, the Portuguese 
trader became so communicative and agreeable 
that we a]l began to think we had judged him 
harshly. We observed, too, that Makarooroo 
and the negroes had fraternized heartily, and our 
guide was singing and laughing, and malting 
himself agreeable at a very uncommon rate, so 
much so as to call forth our surprise. 

“ Mak seems to be mad, to-day,” observed Pe- 
terkin, as one of our guide’s jovial laughs rang 
through the wood, and was echoed by his new 
acquaintances. 

“ Bees him not always so ? ” inquired the Por- 
tuguese. 

“ He’s always hearty enough,” replied Jack, 
“ but I must confess I never saw him in such 
high spirits as he seems to be in just now. It 
must be the effect of meeting with new faces, I 
suppose.” 

“ Ah ! ’spose so,” remarked the trader. 

I was struck with the manner in which this 
was said. There was a tone of affected indiffer- 
ence, such as one assumes when making a pass- 
ing remark, but at the same time a dark frown 
rested for one moment on his brow, and he cast 
a piercing, vindictive glance at our guide. Next 
moment he was smiling blandly and making 
some humorous remark to Peterkin. 


250 


A VILLAIN FOUND OUT. 


I looked at my companions, but they had evi- 
dently not observed this little piece of by-play. 
It seemed to me so unaccountable, considering 
that the two men had never met before, that I 
resolved to watch them. I soon observed that 
Makarooroo’s mirth was forced, that he was in 
fact acting a part, and I noticed once or twice 
that he, also, cast an occasional stealthy and 
piercing glance at the Portuguese. It afterwards 
turned out that both men had been acting the 
same part, and that each had suspected what the 
other was doing. 

When our meal was concluded, we prepared 
to resume our separate routes. 

“ I goes to de west,” observed the Portuguese 
in a casual way, as he buckled on the belt that 
supported his hunting-knife. 

“ Indeed ! I had understood you to say that 
you were going south.” 

u No, you not have onderstand me. I goes to 
de west, ver’ long way.” 

u Then, sir, I wish you a safe and pleasant 
journey,” said Jack, lifting his cap. 

“ De same to you, sairs, an’ goot plenty of go- 
rillas to you. Farder nord dey be more plenty. 
Adieu ! ” 

We took off our caps to each other, and, say- 
ing farewell, we turned away and soon lost sight 
of the party. 

“ Ho ! de yaller-faced villain,” exclaimed Mak- 


A VILLAIN FOUND OUT. 


251 


arooroo between his clenched teeth, after we were 
out of ear-shot. 

“ Why, what’s wrong, Mak ? ”• inquired Peter- 
kin in great surprise. 

“ Ho ! noting porteekler,” replied the guide 
with an air and tone, of sarcasm that quite 
amused us. “ Hims not go sout,’ ho no ! Hims 
go west, ho yis ! Hims advise us to go nort’, ho 
dear ! dat bery clibber, bery mush clibber ; but 
we is clibberer, we is, ho ! ho ! ho ! ” 

Our worthy guide looked so terribly fierce as 
he uttered this fiendish laugh that we all came 
to a * tand and gazed at him in surprise ; we 
fancied that something must have deranged his 
mind. 

“ Mak,” said Peterkin, “ you are mad. What 
mean you by such grimaces ? ” 

Pursing his lips tightly, and looking at each 
of us for a few moments in silence, he finally 
crossed his arms on his chest and turning eagerly 
to Jack, said with extreme volubility, — 

“Dat rascal! dat tief! him’s no trader; him’s 
slabe dealer; hims no go west; hims go south; 
an’ wa’t for hims go? W’at for hims carry 
guns so many? eh? Hims go (here the guide 
dropped his voice into a whisper of intense bit- 
terness), hims go for attack village an’ take all 
peepils away for be slabes. No pay for ’em, — 
tief ! — take dem by force.” 

“ Why, how did you come to know all this ? ” 


252 


A VILLAIN FOUND OUT. 


said Jack, u or, rather, to suspect it, for you can- 
not be sure that you are right.” 

“ W’at no can be sure me right ? ho, yis, me 
sartin sure. Me bery clibber. Stop now. Did 
him — dat tief ! — speak bery mush ? ” 

w Certainly he did, a good deal.” 

“ Yis, ho ! an’ did him make you speak bery 
mush ?*” 

“ I rather think he did,” replied Peterkin, 
laughing at our guide’s eagerness. 

“ Yis, ho ! hims did. An’ did him ax you 
plenty question, all ’bout where you go, an’ 
where you come from, an’ de way back to tillage 
where we be come from. An’ did hims say, 
when him find you was come from souV dat 
hims was go west , though, before dat hims hab 
say dat hims be go souf ? eh ? ” 

“ Certainly,” said Jack with a thoughtful look, 
“ he did say all that, and a great deal more to 
that effect.” 

“ Yis, ho ! hims did. Me know bery well. 
Me see him. An’ me, also, dood to de niggers 
what hims do to you. Me talk an’ laugh an’ 
sing, den me ax dem questions! But dey bery 
wise, dey no speak mush, but dey manage to 
speak ’nuff for me. Yis, me bam — bam — 
eh?” 

“ Boozle,” suggested Peterkin. 

“ Yis, bamboozle dem altogidder, ho ! ho ! ” 

After a little further explanation we found 


NEW PLANS. 


253 


that this Portuguese trader was a man-stealer on 
his way to one of the smaller villages with the 
intention of attacking it. Makarooroo ascer- 
tained that they meant to proceed direct to that 
of King Jambai, first, however, getting one of 
the neighboring tribes to pick a quarrel with 
that monarch and go to war with him, and we 
now recollected, with deep regret, that in our 
ignorance of what the Portuguese was, we had 
given him a great deal of information regarding 
the village of our late hospitable entertainer 
which might prove very useful to him, and very 
hurtful to poor King Jambai, in the event of 
such a raid being carried out. 

But, in addition to this, Makarooroo had ascer- 
tained that it was possible ihat, before going to 
King Jambai’s village, they might perhaps make 
a descent on that of our friend Mbango with 
whom we had left poor Okandaga. It was this 
that raised the wrath of our guide to such a 
pitch. 

The instant we heard it Jack said, — 

“ Then that settles the question of our future 
proceedings. We must bid adieu to the gorillas 
at once, and dog the steps of this marauding 
party so as to prevent our good friends Mbango 
and Jambai being surprised and carried into 
slavery along with all their people. It seems to 
me that our path is clear in this matter. Even^ 


254 


NEW PLANS. 


if we were not bound in honor to succor those 
who have treated us hospitably, we ought to do 
our best to undo the evil we have done in telling 
their enemies so much about them. Besides, we 
must save Okandaga, whatever happens. What 
say you, comrades ? ” 

“ Of course we must,” said Peterkin. I also 
heartily concurred. 

“ You’s a good man,” said Makarooroo, his 
eyes glistening with emotion. 

“ If I did not stand by you at such a time as 
this,” replied Jack, smiling, <( I should certainly 
be a very bad man.” 

“ But what are we to do about our goods ? ” 
inquired I. “ We cannot hope to keep up with 
these robbers if we carry our goods with us — 
and yet it seems hard to leave them behind, for 
we should fare ill, I fear, in this country if we 
travel as beggars.” 

“ We shall easily manage as to that,” replied 
Jack. “ I have observed that one of our niggers 
is a sensible, and, I am disposed to think, a 
trustworthy fellow — ” 

“ D’you mean the man with the blind eye and 
the thumping big nose ? ” inquired Peterkin. 

“ The same. Well, I shall put him in charge, 
and tell him to follow us to Mbango’s village ; 
then we four shall start off light and hunt our 
way south ; travelling as fast as we can, and car- 


peterkin’s sorrows. 


2 55 


lying as many strings of beads by way of small 
change, as we can stuff into our pockets and 
fasten about our persons.” 

“ The very thing,” cried Peterkin. “ So let’s 
put it in practice at once.” 

“ Ay, this very night,” said Jack, as we hurried 
back to the spot where our goods had been left. 

As we went along in silence I noticed that 
Peterkin sighed once or twice very heavily, and 
I asked him if he was quite well. 

“ Well, ay, well enough in body, Ralph, but ill 
at ease in mind. How can it be otherwise when 
we are thus suddenly and unexpectedly about 
to take leave of our dear friends the gorillas ? I 
declare my heart is fit to break.” 

“ I sympathize with you, Peterkin,” said I, 
“ for I have not yet made nearly as many notes 
in regard to these monster-monkeys as I could 
have wished. However, I am thankful for what 
I have got, and perhaps we may come back here 
again one of these days.” 

“ What blood-thirsty fellows,” cried Jack, 
laughing ; “ if you talk so, I fear that Mak and I 
shall have to cut your acquaintance ; for, you 
see, he and I have got a little feeling left.” 

“ Well, it’s natural, I fancy,” observed Peter- 
kin, “that gorillas should feel for their kindred. 
However, I console myself with the thought that 
the country further south is much better filled 
with other game, although the great puggy is 


256 


FUTURE PROSPECTS. 


not there. And then we shall come among lions 
again, which we can never find, I believe, in the 
gorilla country. I wonder if the gorilla has 
really driven them out of this part of Africa.” 

“ Some tliink it probable,” observed I, “ but we 
cannot make sure of that point.” 

“ Well, we can at all events make sure of this 
point,” cried Peterkin, as we came in sight of 
our encampment, “that lions are thick enough 
in the country whither we are bound; so let’s 
have a good supper, and hurrah for the south ! 
It’s a bright prospect before us. A fair lady to 
be saved ; possibly a fight with the niggers, and 
lion, elephant, rhinoceros, alligator, hippopotamus, 
and buffalo shooting by way of relaxation in the 
intervals of the war ! • 


REFLECTIONS. 


257 


CHAPTER XV. 

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING — WE FLY, AND I MAKE 

A NARROW ESCAPE FROM AN APPALLING FATE. 

During many days, after the incidents narrated 
in the last chapter, did Jack, and Peterkin, and 
Makarooroo, and I, push across the continent 
through bush and brake, over hill and dale, mo- 
rass and plain, at our utmost possible speed. 
We did not, during the whole course of our 
journey, overtake the Portuguese slave-dealer, 
but we thought little of that, for it was not very 
probable that we should hit upon exactly the 
same route, and we entertained sanguine hopes 
that the energy and speed with which we kept 
steadily and undeviatingly on our way would 
enable us to reach the village of Mbango before 
the slave-dealer and his party. 

When I look back upon that time now, and 
reflect calmly on the dangers we encountered 
and the hardships we endured, I confess that I 
am filled with amazement. 1 might easily fill 
several volumes such as this with anecdotes of 
our encounters with wild animals and other ad- 
22* 


258 


OUR PHYSICAL CONDITION. 


ventures ; but, however interesting these might 
be in themselves, I must not forget that some of 
the main incidents of our sojourn in Africa have 
yet to be related, and that there is a limit to the 
patience of even youthful readers. 

Our power of enduring fatigue and sustained 
active exertion, with comparatively short inter- 
vals of nightly repose, was much greater than 1 
could have believed to be possible. I have no 
doubt that anxiety to save Okandaga from the 
terrible fate that hung over her, enabled us to 
bear up under fatigues which would at other 
times have overcome us. I know not well how 
it was that I kept up with my strong and agile 
comrades. Oftentimes I felt ready to drop down 
as I walked, yet, somehow, I never thought of 
falling behind, but went doggedly on, and at 
nights found myself little worse in condition 
than they. Peterkin, although small, was tough 
and springy, and his spirits seemed rather to rise 
than otherwise as his strength abated. As for 
Jack — I never saw any one like him! He 
seemed like a lion roaming in his strength over 
his native deserts. So hardened had we all be- 
come during the course of our travels that we 
found ourselves not only equal to Makarooroo 
in pedestrian powers, but superior; for when 
occasion required we could almost knock him 
up, but I am free, to admit that we never suc- 
ceeded in doing this thoroughly. In short we 


SIGHTS ON THE JOURNEY. 


259 


were all as nearly as possible equal to each other, 
with the exception of Jack, who seemed in every 
way invulnerable. 

During this long and hurried but intensely in- 
teresting and delightful journey we came upon, 
at different times, almost every species of animal, 
plant, and tree peculiar to the African continent. 
Oftentimes we passed by droves and herds of 
elephants, deer, buffalo, giraffes, antelopes, and 
zebras ; we saw rhinoceroses, alligators, leopards, 
lions, apes of several kinds and smaller monkeys 
innumerable. We also saw great numbers of 
birds — some curious on account of their habits 
and form, others beautiful and bright as the rain- 
bow. 

Yet, although, as I have said, this journey was 
very delightful, our feelings were at different 
times exceedingly varied, and not unfrequently 
pained ; for, while we saw around us much that 
was beautiful, innocent, and lovely, we also 
witnessed the conflicts of many wild creatures, 
and sometimes came across evidences of the 
savage and cruel dispositions of the human be- 
ings by whom the country was peopled. We al- 
ways, however, carefully avoided native villages ; 
being anxious not to be interrupted on our 
forced march. Neither did we turn aside to 
hunt, although we were much tempted so to do, 
but contented ourselves with killing such animals 


260 


A SUDDEN MEETING. 


as we required for our daily subsistence ; and of 
these we shot as many as we required without 
requiring to turn aside from our straight course. 

Thus we went on day after day, and slept 
under the shade of the trees or under the wide 
canopy of heaven night after night, until we 
arrived one day at a beautiful valley, bordered 
by a plain, and traversed by a river, where 
Peterkin met with a sad accident, and our on- 
ward progress was for a short period arrested. 

It happened thus : — The region through 
which we chanced to be passing was peopled by 
so many natives that we had the utmost diffi- 
culty in avoiding them, and more than once were 
compelled to halt during the daytime in some 
sequestered dell, and resume our journey during 
the night. 

One day — it was, if I remember rightly, 
about two o’clock in the afternoon — we came 
suddenly in sight of a native village on the 
banks of the river whose course we were at that 
time following, and made a wide detour in order 
to avoid it. We had passed it several miles and 
were gradually bending into our course again 
when we came unexpectedly upon a band of 
natives who had been out hunting and were re- 
turning to their village with the spoils of the 
chase on their shoulders. Both parties at once 
came to an abrupt halt, and we stood for several 


PERPLEXITIES. 


261 


minutes looking at each other, — the natives in 
speechless amazement, while we conversed in 
whispers uncertain what to do. 

We knew that if we made friendly advances 
we should no doubt be welcomed, but then we 
should certainly be compelled to go back with 
them to their village and spend at least a day or 
two with them, as we could not hope to give 
them a satisfactory reason for our going on at 
once. We also knew that to go on in spite of 
them would produce a quarrel, and, of course, a 
fight, which, as it would certainly result in 
bloodshed, was by all means to be avoided ; for 
we could not bear to think that a mere caprice 
of ours in visiting Africa should be the means of 
causing the death of a single human being, if 
we could prevent it 

u What is to be done ? ” said Peterkin, looking 
at Jack in despair. 

“ I don’t know,” replied Jack. u It’s very 
awkward. It will never do to go all the way 
back to the village with these stupid fellows, and 
we cannot tell them our real reason for going 
on ; for, in the first place, they would perhaps not 
believe us, or, in the second place, they might 
offer to join us.” 

“ Fight,” said Makarooroo in a low tone, 
grinding his teeth together, and clutching his 
rifle. 

I felt a deep sympathy with the poor fellow, 


262 


A SUDDEN KESOLVE. 


for I knew well that in disposition he was natu- 
rally the reverse of quarrelsome, and that his 
present state of mind was the consequence of 
anxiety for the deliverance of his faithful bride. 

“ No, no,” replied Jack quickly, “ we shall not 
fight.” 

“ Suppose we bolt ! ” whispered Peterkin, 
brightening up as the idea occurred to him, — 
“ regularly run away ! ” 

We seized at the idea instantly. We were all 
of us hard of muscle and strong of wind now, 
and we knew that we could outstrip the savages. 

“We’ll do it!” said Jack hastily. Let us 
scatter, too, so as to perplex them at the outset.” 

“ Capital ! then here goes. I’m off! ” cried 
Peterkin. 

“ Stay ! ” said Jack. 

“ Why ? ” demanded Peterkin. 

“ Because we must appoint a place of rendez- 
vous if we would hope to meet again.” 

“ True ; I forgot that.” 

“ D’you all see yonder blue mountain-peak ? ” 

“ Ay!” 

“ Let us meet there. If we miss each other 
at the base, let us proceed to the summit and 
wait. Away ! ” 

As Jack uttered the last word we all turned 
right about and fled like the wind. The sav- 
ages instantly set up a hideous yell, and darted 
after us ; but we made for the thick woods, and 


WE FLY. 


263 


scattering in all directions, as had been previ- 
ously arranged, speedily threw them off the 
scent, and finally made our escape. 

For the first time since landing on the conti- 
nent of Africa, I now found myself totally alone 
in the wild forest. After separating from my 
companions, I ran at my utmost speed in the di- 
rection of a dense jungle, where I purposed tak- 
ing shelter until the natives should pass by, and 
then come out and pursue my way leisurely. 
But I was prevented from adopting this course 
in consequence of two very fleet negroes discov- 
ering my intention, and, by taking a short cut, 
frustrating it. I was compelled, therefore, to keep 
in the more open part of the forest, and trust sim- 
ply to speed and endurance for escape. 

I should think that I ran nearly two miles at 
full speed, and kept well ahead of my pursuers. 
Indeed, I had distanced them considerably, but 
feeling that I could not hold out long at such a 
killing pace, I pulled up a little, and allowed 
them to gain on me slightly. I was just about 
to resume my full speed, and, if possible, throw 
them at once far behind, when my foot was 
caught by a thorny shrub, and I fell headlong to 
the ground. I was completely stunned for a mo- 
ment or two, and lay quite motionless. But my 
consciousness suddenly returned, accompanied 
by a feeling of imminent danger, which caused 
me to spring up and renew my headlong career. 


264 


TERRIBLE DANGER. 


Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the two 
natives had gained so much on me, that had I 
lain a few seconds longer I must inevitably have 
been captured. 

I exerted myself now beyond my powers. My 
head, too, from the shock I had received, became 
confused, and I scarce knew whither I was going. 
Presently a loud, dull roar, as if of distant thun- 
der, struck upon my ear, and I beheld what ap- 
peared to me to be a vast white plain, covered 
with mist before. Next moment, I found myself 
on the brink of a precipice of a hundred feet 
deep, over which, a little to my left, a large river 
fell, and thundered down into a dark abyss, 
whence issued those clouds of spray which I had 
taken for a white plain in the confusion of my 
brain and vision. 

I made a desperate effort to check myself, but 
it was too late. My heels broke off the earthy 
edge of the cliff, and I obtained just one awful 
glance of the horrid turmoil directly below me, 
as I fell over with a mass of debris. I uttered 
an involuntary shriek of agony, and flung my 
arms wildly out. My hand clutched the branch 
of an overhanging bush. This, slight though it 
was, was the means, under God, of saving my 
life. The branch broke off, but it checked my 
fall, and, at the same time, swung me into the 
centre of a tree which projected out from the 
cliff almost horizontally. Through this tree I 


A HORRIBLE POSITION. 


265 


went crashing with fearful violence until I was 
arrested by my chest striking against a stout 
branch. This I clutched with the tenacity of 
despair, and wriggling myself, as it were, along 
it, wound my arms and legs round it, and held 
on for some time with the utmost fervor of mus- 
cular energy. 

My position now was beyond conception hor- 
rible. I shut my eyes, and prayed earnestly for 
help. Presently I opened them, and, in the po- 
sition in which I then lay, the first thing I saw, 
was the boiling water of the fall more than a 
hundred feet below me. My agony was such 
that large drops of perspiration broke out all over 
my forehead. It was many minutes before I 
could summon up courage to turn my head so 
as to look upward, for I had a vague feeling that 
if I were to move, the branch on which I lay 
would break off. When I did so, I observed 
that the branches over my head completely 
screened the sky from me, so that I knew I had 
escaped one danger; for the natives, believing, 
no doubt, that I had fallen down into the river, 
would at once give up theft hopeless pursuit. 
The branch on which I lay was so slender that 
it swayed about with every motion that I made, 
and the longer I remained there the more ner- 
vous did I become. 

At last I bethought me that unless I made a 
manful effort I should certainly perish, so I 
23 


266 


A HORRIBLE POSITION. 


looked about me until I became accustomed to 
the giddy position. Then I perceived that, by 
creeping along the branch until I gained the 
trunk of the tree, I could descend by means of it 
to the face of the precipice from which it pro- 
jected, and thus gain a narrow ledge of rock that 
overhung the abyss. In any other circumstances 
I would as soon have ventured to cross the Falls 
of Niagara on a tight rope ; but I had no other 
alternative, so I crept along the bank slowly and 
nervously, clinging to it at the same time, with 
terrible tenacity. At last I gained the trunk of 
the tree and breathed more freely, for it w T as 
much steadier than the branch. 

The trunk projected, as I have said, almost 
horizontally from the precipice, so I had to draw 
myself carefully along it, not daring to get on my 
hands and knees, and finally reached the ledge 
above referred to. Compared with my former 
position, this was a place of temporary safety, 
for it was three feet wide, and, having a good 
head, I had no fear of falling over. But on look- 
ing up, my heart sank within me, for the bare 
cliff offered no foot^iold whatever. I do not be- 
lieve that a monkey could have climbed it. To 
descend the precipice was equally impossible, for 
it was like a wall. My only hope, therefore, lay 
in the ledge on which I stood, and which I ob- 
served ran along to the right, and turned round 
a projecting rock that hid the remainder of it 
from view. 


ESCAPE. 


267 


Hasting along it, I found, to my inexpressible 
relief, that it communicated with the top of the 
precipice. The ascent was difficult and danger- 
ous, but at last I succeeded in passing the most 
serious part, and soon gained the summit of the 
cliff in safety, where I immediately fell on my 
knees and returned thanks for my deliverance. 

I had passed nearly an hour in the trying ad- 
venture which I have just related, and feeling 
that my companions would naturally begin soon 
to be anxious about me, I started for our rendez- 
vous, which I reached in little more than an hour 
and a half. Here I found Jack seated alone be- 
side a stream of water, from which he occasion- 
ally lifted a little in the hollow of his hand and 
drank greedily. 

“ Ah, Ralph, my boy ! ” he exclaimed joyfully 
as I came up, “ I’m glad you’ve come. I had 
begun to fear that you must have been captured. 
Ay, drink, lad! You seem warm enough, 
though I scarcely think you can be much more 
so than I am. What a run we have had, to be 
sure ! But what ! Ralph, your clothes are much 
torn, and your face and hands are scratched. 
Why, you must have got among thorns. Not 
badly hurt, I trust ? ” 

“ Oh, no ; nothing to speak of. I have, how- 
ever, had a narrow escape. But before I speak 
of that, what of Peterkin ? ” 


268 


HOW IT FARED WITH JACK. 


44 I don’t know,” replied Jack, with an anxious 
expression, 44 and to say truth, I begin to feel un- 
easy about him, for he ought to have been here 
almost as soon as myself.” 

44 How so ? Did you, then, run together ? ” 

44 Latterly we did. At first we separated, and 
I knew not what had become either of him or 
you. The fact is, I had enough to do to look 
out for myself, for a dozen of rascally niggers 
kept close upon my heels and tried my powers 
of running somewhat, so I took to the thick 
wood and made a detour, to throw them off the 
scent. All at once I heard a smashing of the 
bushes right in front of me, and before I knew 
what I was about Peterkin bounced through the 
underwood and almost plunged into my arms. 
We both gave an involuntary yell of alarm. 

44 4 There’s two of ’em right on my heels,’ said 
he in a gasp, as he dashed off again. 4 Come 
along with me, Jack.’ 

44 1 followed as fast as I could, and we crossed 
an open plain together, when I looked over my 
shoulder and saw that all the other fellows had 
given up the chase except the two mentioned by 
Peterkin. These kept on after us, and somehow 
or other we got separated again, just after reen- 
tering the wood on the other side .of the plain. 
Of course I ran on, expecting to see my com- 
panion every minute. Finally, I came to the 


PETERKIN LOST. 


269 


rendezvous, and here I found that the savages 
had given up all hope of overtaking me, for I 
could see nothing of them.” 

“ How long ago is that ? ” I inquired quickly. 

“ About an hour.” 

“ Then poor Peterkin must have been caught,” 
said I, in a voice of despair. 

u No, that is not likely,” replied Jack ; “ for I 
climbed a high tree and saw the savages re- 
crossing the plain alone. I think it probable he 
may have lost his way, and is afraid to climb 
trees or to fire off his gun to signal us, for fear 
of being heard or seen by the niggers. I have 
sent Mak, who came here soon after I did, to 
search for him.” 

“ It may be as you say, Jack, but we must go 
at once to look for him.” 

“ With all my heart, Ralph, I only waited 
until you had sufficiently rested.” 

“ The body cannot rest when the mind is ill 
at ease. Come, let us start at once. I shall tell 
you of my little adventure as we go along.” 

We soon reached the edge of the plain where 
Jack had been separated from his companion, 
and here we proceeded to make a careful search. 
Being certain that the savages were now out of 
ear-shot, we began to halloo occasionally as we 
went along. But monkeys and parrots alone 
replied to us. 

“ This is the very spot where I last saw him,” 
23 * 


270 


PETERKIN LOST. 


said Jack, leading me to a palm-tree which stood 
a little within the outer verge of the wood ; and 
here are his footsteps faintly indicated on the 
grass.” 

“ Ah ! then let us follow these up ! ” said I 
eagerly. 

“ We might, if we were North American 
backwoodsmen or Red Indians ; but I can 
scarcely follow — stay, here they enter upon a 
piece of soft ground, and are more distinct. 
Now, then, we shall get on.” 

For nearly quarter of an hour we followed the 
foot prints ; then we c&me to dry ground again, 
and lost all traces of them. We wandered 
about perseveringly, nevertheless, and were re- 
warded by again discovering them about quarter 
of a mile further on, leading down to the banks 
of the river, on another part of which I had had 
such a narrow escape. 

While we were advancing — I in front — I felt 
the ground beneath me suddenly begin to give 
way with a crackling sound. I instinctively 
threw up my arms, and sprang back. 

“ Hallo, Ralph ! ” cried my companion, seizing 
me with one hand by the collar, and hauling, or 
rather lifting me back, as if I had been a poodle- 
dog. “ Why, you were as near as possible into 
a pit-fall.” 

“ Thanks to you, Jack, that I am not actually 
in,” said I, putting my somewhat twisted cos- 


AND FOUND. 


271 


tume to rights. “ But, I say, does it not strike 
you that perhaps Peterkin has fallen into one of 
these ? ” 

We both started and listened with breathless 
attention,’ for at that moment, we heard a faint 
groan not far from us. It was repeated almost 
immediately, though so faintly, that we could 
scarcely ascertain the direction whence it came. 
We advanced cautiously, however, a few paces, 
and discovered a hole in the ground, from which, 
at that very moment, the dishevelled head of 
poor Peterkin appeared, like Jack coming out of 
his box. His sudden appearance and serio-comic 
expression would have been at any other time, 
sufficient to have set us off in fits of laughter ; 
but joy at finding him, and anxiety lest he should 
prove to be seriously hurt, restrained us at that 
time effectually. 

“ My dear fellow ! ” cried Jack, hurrying for- 
ward. 

“ Keep back ! avaunt ye — Oh, dear me, Jack, 
my poor head ! ” said Peterkin with a sigh, press- 
ing his hand to his forehead ; “ what an intolera- 
ble whack I have got on my miserable caput. 
There, don’t come nearer, else you’ll break 
through. Reach me your hand. That’s it ; 
thank’ee.” 

“ There you are, all safe, my boy,” cried Jack, 
as he drew Peterkin out of the hole. “ But, 


272 


peterkin’s misfortune. 


hallo ! I say, Ralph, run down for some water ; 
I believe the poor fellow has fainted.’’ 

I sprang down the river bank, and speedily re- 
turned with some water in the crown of my wide- 
awake. Peterkin had recovered before I came 
back, and a long draught quite restored him, so 
that in a few minutes, he was able to relate how 
the accident had befallen him. 

“ You see,” said he in a jocular tone — for it 
was a most unusually severe accident indeed, 
that could drive the lun out of our little friend — 
“ you see, after I lost sight of Jack, I took a leaf 
out of the hare’s book, and doubled on my course. 
This brought me, unhappily, to the banks of the 
river, where I came upon one of the pit-falls that 
are made by the niggers here to catch wild 
beasts, and in I went. I kept hold of the sur- 
face boughs, however, scrambled out again, and 
pushed on. But I had not gone ten yards, when 
the ground began to crackle and sink. I made 
a desperate bound to clear it; but my foot 
caught in a branch, and down I went head fore- 
most into the pit. And that’s the whole of my 
story. How long I remained there I know not. 
If I had known what time it was when I dived 
in, and you were to tell me what o’clock it is 
now, we might arrive at a knowledge of the 
time I have spent at the bottom of that hole. 
All that I can positively affirm is, that I went 


peterkin’s misfortune. 


273 


in, and within the last ten minutes I came 
out ! ” 

We laughed at this free-and-easy manner of 
narrating the incident, and then prepared to re- 
turn to our rendezvous ; but, on attempting to 
walk, Peterkin found that he had received a 
greater shake than at first he had imagined. 
Several times during our march he became 
giddy, and had to be supported ; and after reach- 
ing our encampment, where we found Makaroo- 
roo waiting for us, he fainted. We were, there- 
fore, obliged to make up our minds to encamp 
where we were for a few days. 


274 


IMPATIENCE. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

AN UNFORTUNATE DELAY, AND A TERRIBLE 
VISITOR. 

Only those who have been forcibly held back, 
when filled with the deepest anxiety to go for- 
ward, can form any thing like a conception of 
our state of mind during the few days that suc- 
ceeded that on which Peterkin met with his ac- 
cident. 

We felt Uke chained hounds when the hunts- 
men pass by. We knew that every hour in- 
creased the distance between us and the slave- 
dealer’s party, who, unless we succeeded in pass- 
ing them and reaching the villages first, would 
infallibly succeed in their villainous design. But 
Peterkin was unable to proceed without great 
risk, as whenever he attempted to walk steadily 
for any distance his head became giddy, and we 
were compelled to halt, so that a day or two’s 
rest was absolutely necessary. Poor Makaroo- 
roo was nearly beside himself with impatience ; 
but, to do him justice, he/ endeavored to con- 


REMARKABLE SPIDER. 


275 


csn l the state of his feelings when in Peterkin’s' 
presence. 

During this period of forced inaction, although, 
of course, I had nothing to do, I found it impos- 
sible to apply my mind closely to the study of 
any of the strange and beautiful objects by 
which I was surrounded. Anxiety banished 
from me almost entirely the love of study, as 
well as the power of observation. Nevertheless, 
one or two things that I saw were so curious, 
that they could not but make a deep impression 
on my memory. 

I discovered a spider of a very remarkable 
kind, which was such an ingenious creature as 
to be capable of making a door to the entrance 
of its house. I came upon the animal one day 
while taking a stroll a short distance from our 
camp. It was as large as a shilling, reddish in 
color, and, from the fierce, rapid way in which it 
ran about hither and thither as if in search for 
prey, it had an exceedingly horrible aspect. The 
hole of this creature is visible only when its 
owner is absent from home. It is quite evident 
either that there are no thieves among the lower 
animals there, or that there is nothing in the hole 
to steal, for when he goes out, he leaves the door 
open behind him. When he returns he shuts 
the door, and the hole becomes invisible in conse- 
quence of the door being coated with earth on 
the outside. Its inside is lined with a pure 


276 


SPIDER WEBS. 


white silky substance, which at once attracted 
my attention as I passed. On trying to pick up 
the door, I found that it was attached by a hinge 
to the hole, and on being shut, it fitted exactly. 

Perhaps the most singular discovery I made, 
was a tree, the stem of which had been so com- 
pletely surrounded by spiders’ webs that it could 
not be seen, and I had to cut through the net- 
work with my knife in order to get at the tree. 
The lines of those webs were as thick as coarse 
threads, and pretty strong, as I had reason to 
know ; for when walking back to camp the same 
evening, meditating deeply on our unfortunate 
detention, I ran my head into the middle of a 
spider’s web, and was completely enveloped in it, 
so much so, that it was with considerable diffi- 
culty I succeeded in clearing it away. I was as 
regularly netted as if a gauze veil had been 
thrown over me. 

On our third morning after the accident we 
set forth again, and continued our journey by 
forced marches as Peterkin could bear it. Al- 
though the two past days and nights had been 
absolutely lost, and could not now be recalled, 
yet the moment we set out and left our camp be- 
hind us, the load of anxiety was at once lifted 
ofl our minds, and we hurried forward with an 
elasticity of step and spirit that was quite delight- 
ful. We felt like prisoners set free, and kept up 
a continual flow of conversation, sometimes in 


NUMBER OF GORILLAS SHOT. 


277 


reference to the scenery and objects around us, 
at other times in regard to our future plans or 
our past experiences. 

“ It seems to me,” said Jack, breaking silence 
at the end of a long pause, which had succeeded 
an animated discussion as to whether it were 
better to spend one’s life in the civilized world, 
or among the wilds of Africa — in which discus- 
sion Peterkin, who advocated the wild life, was 
utterly, though not admittedly, beaten — u it 
seems to me that, notwithstanding the short time 
we stayed in the gorilla country, we have been 
pretty successful. Haven’t we bagged thirty- 
three altogether ? ”, 

“ Thirty-six, if you count the babies in arms,” 
responded Peterkin. 

“ Of course we are entitled to count these.” 

“ I think you are both out in your reckoning,” 
said I, drawing out my note-book; “the last 
baby that I shot was our thirty-seventh.” 

“ What ! ” cried Peterkin, “ the one with the 
desperately black face and the horrible squint, 
that nearly tore all the hair out of Jack’s head 
before he managed to strangle him ? That 
wasn’t a baby ; it ^vas a big boy, and I have no 
doubt a big rascal besides.” 

“ That may be so,” I rejoined ; “ but whatever 
he was, I have him down as number thirty-seven 
in my list.” 


24 


278 


NUMERICAL DIFEICULTIES. 


“ Pity we didn’t make up the forty,” observed 
Jack. 

“ Ah ! yes, indeed,” said Peterkin. “ But let 
me see ; could we not manage to make it up to 
that yet ? ” 

. “ Impossible,” said I. “We are far away 
from the gorilla land now, I know ; for, in addi- 
tion to the fact that we have seen no traces of 
gorillas for a long time, we have, within the last 
few days, seen several lions which, you are well 
aware, do not exist in the gorilla country.” 

“ True; but you mistake me,” rejoined Peter- 
kin. “ I do not mean to make up the number to 
forty by killing three more, but by proving, al- 
most to demonstration, that we have already 
been the death of that number, in addition to 
those noted down.” # 

“ You’ll find that rather difficult,” said Jack, 
laughing. 

“ Not at all,” cried Peterkin. “ Let me think 
a minute. You remember that enormously big, 
hairy fellow, that looked so like an ugly old man, 
that Ralph refused point blank to fire at him ; 
whereupon you fired at him point blank, and 
wounded him in the shoulder *as he was running 
away ? ” 

“We treated several big fellows in that way,” 
replied Jack ; “ which of them do you allude to ? 
— the one that roared so loi^d and terrified you 
so much that you nearly ran away ? ” 


A PROBLEM. 


279 


u No, no ; you know well enough which one I 
mean. The one that ran along the edge of the 
stagnant pool into which you tumbled as we 
were coming back.” 

“ Oh, yes ! I remember,” said Jack, laughing. 

“ Well, that fellow flew into such a horrible 
rage when he was wounded,” continued Peter- 
kin, “ that I am perfectly certain he went straight 
home and murdered his wife in a passion — 
which brings up the number to thirty-eight. 
Then there was that old woman-gorilla that I 
brought down when we were descending yon 
hill that was covered with such splendid vines — 
you remember ? — well, I’m quite certain that 
the young man-gorilla beside her, who ran off 
and escaped, was her son, and that he went 
home straightway and died of grief. That 
makes thirty-nine. Then . — ” 

“ Oh, do be quiet, Peterkin, please,” said I, 
with a shudder. “ You put things in such a 
fearfully dark and murderous light, that I feel 
quite as if I were a murderer. I feel quite un- 
easy, I assure you ; and if it were not that we 
have killed all these creatures in the cause of 
science, I should be perfectly miserable.” 

11 In the cause of science ! ” repeated Peterkin ; 
“humph! I suspect that a good deal of wick- 
edness is perpetrated under the wing of sci- 
ence.” 

“ Come, come,” said Jack, “ don’t you begin 


280 


TIIE GORILLA’S THREAT. 


to grow sarcastic, Master Peterkin. I abomi- 
nate sarcasm, and cannot tolerate sarcastic peo- 
ple. If you adopt that style, I shall revert to 
my natural habits as a gorilla, and tear you in 
pieces.” . 

“ There you exhibit your unnatural ignorance 
of your own natural habits,” retorted Peterkin ; 
“ for you ought to know that gorillas never tear 
men in pieces ; their usual mode being to knock 
you down with a blow of their huge paws.” 

u Well, I will knock you down if you prefer 
it.” 

“ Thank you ; I’d rather not. Besides, you 
have almost knocked me up, already ; so pray 
call a halt and let me rest a bit.” 

We were all very willing to* agree to this 
request, having walked the last two or three 
miles at a very quick pace. Seating ourselves on 
the trunk of a fallen tree, we enjoyed the beau- 
tiful prospect before us. An open vista enabled 
us to see beyond the wood in which we were 
travelling into an extensive sweep of prairie land 
on which the sinking sun was shedding a rich 
flood of light. It happened to be a deliciously 
cool evening, and the chattering of numerous 
parrots as well as the twittering songs of other 
birds — less gorgeous, perhaps, but more musical 
than they — refreshed our ears as the glories of 
the landscape did our eyes. While we were 
gazing dreamily before us in silent enjoyment, 


A SPLENDID SHOT. 


281 


Jack suddenly interrupted our meditations by 
exclaiming, — 

“ Hist ! look yonder ! ” 

He pointed, as he spoke, to a distant part of 
the plain on which the forest closely pressed. 

“ A zebra ! ” cried I, with delight, for, besides 
the feeling of pleasure at seeing this splendid 
creature, I entertained a hope that we might 
shoot him and procure a steak for supper, of 
which at that time we stood much in need. 

“ I’m too tired to stalk it now,” said Peterkin, 
with an air of chagrin. “ Are you up to it, 
Jack ? ” 

“ Quite, but I fear he’s an animal that’s very 
difficult to stalk in such an open country. What 
say you, Mak ? ” 

“ Hims no be cotched dis yer night, massa. 
Hi ms too far away an’ too wide ’wake.” 

u What say you to a long shot, Peterkin ? 
Your rifle is sighted for four hundred yards, and 
he seems to be little more than six hundred off.” 

“ I’ll try,” said our friend, going down on one 
knee and adjusting the sight of his piece. Tak- 
ing a long steady aim he fired, and in another 
instant the zebra lay dead on the plain. I need 
hardly add that our amazement was excessive. 
Even Peterkin himself could scarcely believe his 
eyes. Had his rifle been sighted for such a dis- 
tance, the shot, although a splendid one, would 
not have amazed us so much, because we knew 
24 * 


282 


A SPLENDID SHOT. 


that our friend’s aim was deadly ; but as he had 
to elevate the muzzle above the object fired at 
and guess the amount of elevation, the shot was 
indeed wonderful. It was a long time before 
our guide could move, but when he did recover 
himself he danced and shouted like a madman 
with delight, and then, setting off with a bound, 
sped across the plain like a deer. 

“ Come along,” cried Jack with a laugh, u let’s 
follow, for Mak looked so rabid when he went 
off, that I believe he’ll eat the beast raw before 
we can claim our share, if we don’t look sharp.” 

We all of us set off at a smart trot, and soon 
came to the ‘spot where our prize lay. It was a 
splendid creature, and in prime condition. After 
examining it carefully, and descanting on the 
beauty of its striped skin, I sat down beside it 
and pulled out my note-book, while my com- 
rades entered the forest to search for a suitable 
place on which to encamp, and to kindle a fire. 
A spot was quickly found, and I had scarcely 
finished making notes when they returned to 
carry the zebra into the encampment. We ac- 
complished this with some difficulty, and laid it 
beside the fire. Then cutting four large steaks 
from its flanks we proceeded to sup, after which 
we made our arrangements for spending the 
night there. We little knew the startling sur- 
prise that was in store for us that night. 

As the forest in that place happened to be 


A TERRIBLE SURPRISE. 


283 


swarming with wild animals of every kind, we 
deemed it prudent to set a watch as well as to 
keep up a blazing fire. Jack, and I, and the 
negro, kept watch by turns ; Peterkin, being still 
sufficiently an invalid to claim exemption from la- 
borious duties, was permitted to rest undisturbed. 

About midnight I roused Jack, and having 
made him sit up 4 , in order to show that he was 
thoroughly awake, I lay down and went to 
sleep. 

How long I slept I cannot tell, but I was sud- 
denly awakened by one of the most tremendous 
roars I ever heard. It was so close to me, that 
in the confusion of my sleepy brain, it seemed to 
be far more terrible than that even of the gorilla. 
I was mistaken in this, however, and no doubt 
my semi-somnolent condition tended to increase 
its awful ness. 

Springing into a sitting posture, and by an in- 
voluntary impulse reaching out my hand for my 
gun which lay close to me, I beheld a sight that 
was calculated to appall the stoutest heart. A 
lion of the largest size was in the very act of 
springing over the bushes, and alighting on the 
zebra, which, as I have said, lay on the other side 
of the fire, and not four yards off from us. As 
the light glared in the brute’s eyes, and, as it 
were, sparkled in gleams on its shaggy mane, 
which streamed out under the force of its majes- 
tic bound, it seemed to my bewildered gaze as 
though the animal were in the air almost above 


284 


ANOTHER SPLENDID SHOT. 


my head, and that he must inevitably alight upon 
myself. This at least is the impression left upon 
my mind, now that I look back upon that terrific 
scene ; but there was no time for thought. The 
roar was uttered, the bound was made, and the 
lion alighted on the carcase of the zebra almost 
in one and the same moment. I freely confess 
that my heart quailed within me. Yet that did 
not prevent my snatching up my gun ; but before 
I had time to cock it, the crashing report of Jack’s 
elephant rifle almost split the drum of my ear, 
and I beheld the lion drop as if it had been a 
stone. 

It lay without motion completely dead, and 
we found, on examination, that the ball had 
smashed in the centre of its forehead, and com- 
pletely penetrated its brain. 

Some lime elapsed before we could find words 
to express our feelings. Our guide, who had so 
completely enveloped his head and shoulders in 
grass when he lay down to sleep that he was the 
last to spring up, looked at the huge carcase of 
the lion, with an expression of utter bewilder- 
ment. 

“ What a magnificent fellow ! And what a 
splendid shot!” exclaimed Peterkin at last. 
“ Why, Jack, I don’t believe there’s a finer lion 
in Africa. It’s lucky, though, that you were on 
the qui vive .” 

“ Yes,” said I, “ had it not been for you we 
might have been all killed by this time.” 


BOLD INTRUDER, 






MATTER FOR MY NOTE-BOOK. 


285 


“ No fear o’ dat,” chimed in our guide as he 
sat down on the lion’s shoulder, and began to 
stroke its mane ; “ hims was want him’s supper 
off de zebra, ho ! ho ! Hims got him’s supper off* 
a bullet ! ” 

“’Tis well that he has,” observed Jack, as he 
reloaded his rifle. “ To say truth, comrades, I 
scarcely deserve credit for being guardian of the 
camp, for I’m ashamed to say that I was sound 
asleep at the moment the lion roared. How I 
ever managed to take so quick and so good an 
aim is more than I can tell. Luckily my rifle 
was handy, and I had fallen asleep in a sitting 
posture. Had it been otherwise I could scarcely 
have been in time to prevent the brute springing 
on us, had he felt so disposed.” 

Here was now another subject for my note- 
book, so I sat down, and began a minute inspec- 
tion of the noble-looking animal, while my com- 
rades, heaping fresh logs on the fire sat down in 
front of it, and for upwards of an hour, “ fought 
their battles o’er again.” 

It was a matter of deep regret to us all that 
we could not afford to carry away with us the 
skin of this lion as a memorial, but, circum- 
stanced as we then were, that was out of the 
question, so we contented ourselves with ex- 
tracting his largest teeth, and all his claws, which 
we still preserve in our niuseum as trophies of 
the adventure. 


286 


NIGHT AMUSEMENTS. 


CHAPTER X Y 1 1. 

WE VISIT A NATURAL MENAGERIE, AND MEET 
WITH STRANGE ADVENTURES. 

We observed, on this journey, that, the ele- 
phants which we met with in our furthest north 
point were considerably smaller than those fur- 
ther to the south, yet though smaller animals, 
their tusks w T ere much larger than those of the 
south. The weight of those tusks varied from 
twenty to fifty pounds, and I saw one that was ac- 
tually upwards of one hundred pounds in weight ; 
equal, in fact, to the weight of a big boy or a little 
man. Such tusks, however, were rare. 

At nights, when we encamped near to a river 
or pool of water, we saw immense numbers of 
elephants come down to drink and enjoy them- 
selves. They seemed, in fact, to be intoxicated 
with delight, if not with water, for they screamed 
with joy, and filling their trunks with water, 
spirted it over themselves and each other in co- 
pious showers. Of course, we never disturbed 
them on such occasions, for we came to the con- 


NIGHT AMUSEMENTS. 


287 


elusion that it would be the height of barbarity 
and selfishness to spoil the pleasure of so many 
creatures merely for the sake of a shot. 

Frequently we were wont to go after our sup- 
per to one of those ponds, when we chanced to 
be in the immediate neighborhood of one, and 
lying concealed among the bushes, watch by th< 
light of the moon, the strange habits and pro 
ceedings of the wild creatures that came there to 
drink. The hours thus passed were to me the 
most interesting by far that I spent in Africa. 
There was something so romantic in the kind of 
scenery, in the dim mysterious light, and in the 
grand troops of wild creatures that came there 
in all the pith and fire of untamed freedom to 
drink. It was like visiting a natural menagerie 
on the most magnificent scale ; for in places 
where water is scarce, any pool that may exist is 
the scene of constant and ever-changing visits 
during the entire night. 

In fact I used to find it almost impossible to 
tear myself away, although I knew that repose 
was absolutely needful in order to enable me to 
continue the journey on the succeeding day, and 
I am quite certain that had not Peterkin and 
Jack often dragged me off in a jocular way by 
main force I should have remained there all 
night, and have fallen asleep probably in my 
ambush. 

One night of this kind that we passed I shall 


288 


NOTES ON THE SABBATH. 


never forget. It was altogether a remarkable 
and tremendously exciting night ; and as it is a 
good type of the style of night entertainment to 
be found in that wild country I shall describe it. 

It happened on a Saturday night. We were 
then travelling through rather a dry district, and 
had gone a whole day without tasting water. 
As evening approached we came, to our satis- 
faction, to a large pond of pretty good water, 
into which we ran knee deep, and, filling our 
caps with water, drank long and repeated 
draughts. Then we went into a piece of jungle 
about a quarter of a mile distant and made our 
encampment, intending to rest there during the 
whole of the Sabbath. 

I may mention here that it was our*usuEtl 
custom to rest on the Sabbath days. This we 
did, because we thought it right, and we came 
ere long to know that it was absolutely needful, 
for on this journey southward we all agreed that 
as life and death might depend on the speed 
with which we travelled, we were quite justified 
in continuing our journey on the Sabbath. But 
we found ourselves at the end of the second 
week so terribly knocked up that we agreed to 
devote the whole of the next Sabbath to repose. 
This we did, accordingly, and found the utmost 
benefit from it ; and we could not avoid remark- 
ing, in reference to this, on the care and tender- 
ness of our heavenly Father, who has so ar- 


PREPARE FOR “ A NIGHT OF IT.” 


289 


ranged that obedience to his command should 
not only bring a peculiar blessing to our souls, 
but, so to speak, a natural and inevitable advan- 
tage to our bodies. These reflections seemed to 
me to throw some light on the passage, “ The 
Sabbath was made for man, not man for the 
Sabbath.” But as this is not the place for the- 
ological disquisition, I shall not refer further to 
that subject. 

Not having, then, to travel on the following 
day, we made up our minds to spend an hour or 
two in a place of concealment near the margin 
of this pond, and I secretly resolved that I would 
spend the whole night there with my note-book 
(for the moon we knew would be bright), and 
make a soft pillow of leaves on which I might 
drop and go to sleep when my eyes refused any 
longer to keep open. 

The moon had just began to rise when we 
finished our suppers and prepared to go to our 
post of observation. We took our rifles with us 
of course, for, although we did not intend to 
shoot, having more than sufficient food already 
in camp, we could not tell but that at any mo- 
ment those weapons might be required for the 
defence of our lives. Makarooroo had been too 
long accustomed to see wild animals to under- 
stand the pleasure we enjoyed in merely staring 
at them, so he was left in charge of our camp. 

25 


290 


A POOL IN THE DESERT. 


“ Now then,” said Peterkin, as we left the en- 
campment, “ hurrah, for the menagerie ! ” 

“ You may well call it that,” said Jack, “for 
there’s no lack of variety.” 

“ Are we to shoot ? ” inquired Peterkin. 

“ Better not, I think. We don’t require meat, 
and there is no use in murdering the poor things. 
What a splendid scene ! ” 

We halted to enjoy the view for a few sec- 
onds. The forest out of which we had emerged 
bordered an extensive plain, which was dotted 
here and there with scattered groups of trees, 
which gave to the country an exceedingly rich 
aspect. In the midst of these the pond lay glit- 
tering in the soft moonlight like a shpet of silver. 
It was surrounded on three sides by low bushes 
and a few trees. On the side next to us it was 
open and fully exposed to view. The moonlight 
was sufficiently bright to render every object dis- 
tinctly visible, yet not so bright as to destroy the 
pleasant feeling of mysterious solemnity that 
pervaded the whole scene. It was wonderfully 
beautiful. I felt almost as if I had reached a 
new world. 

Continuing our walk we quickly gained the 
bushes that fringed the margin of the pool, which 
was nowhere more than thirty yards broad, and 
on our arrival heard the hoofs of several animals 
that we had scared away clattering on the 
ground as they retreated. 


A POOL IN THE DESERT. 


291 


u There they go already,” cried Jack, u now let 
us look for a hillock of some kind on which to 
take up our position.” 

“We shall not have to look far,” said I, “for 
here seems a suitable spot ready at our hand.” 

“ Your eyes are sharp to-night, Ralph,” ob- 
served Peterkin, “ the place is splendid, so let’s to 
work.” 

. Laying down our rifles, we drew our hunting- 
knives, and began to cut down some of the un- 
derwood on the top of a small hillock that rose 
a little above the surrounding bushes, and com- 
manded a clear view of the entire circumference 
of the pond. We selected this spot for the 
double reason that it was a good point of observa- 
tion and a safe retreat, as animals coming to the 
pond to drink, from whatever quarter they might 
arrive, would never think of ascending a hil- 
lock covered with bushes if they could pass 
round it. 

Having cleared a space sufficiently large to 
hold us — leaving, however, a thin screen of 
shrubs in front through which we intended to 
peep — we strewed the ground with leaves, and 
lay down to watch with our loaded rifles close 
beside us. We felt certain of seeing a good 
many animals, for even during the process of 
preparing our place of retreat, several arrived, 
and were scared away by the noise we made. 

Presently we heard footsteps approaching. 


292 


STRANGE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS. 


“ There’s something,” whispered Peterkin. 

“ Ay,” returned Jack, u what I like about this 
sort o’ thing is, your uncertainty as to what may 
turn up. It’s like deep sea-fishing, — hist ! look 
out.” 

The steps were rapid. Sometimes they clat- 
tered over what appeared to be pebbly ground ; 
then they became muffled as the animal crossed 
a grassy spot ; at last it trotted out of the shade 
of the bushes directly opposite to us into the 
moonlight, and showed itself to be a beautiful 
little antelope of the long-horned kind, with a 
little fawn by its side. The two looked timidly 
round for a few seconds, and snuffed the air as if 
they feared concealed enemies, and then, trotting 
into the water, slaked their thirst together. I 
felt as great pleasure in seeing them take a long 
satisfactory draught, as if I had been swallowing 
it myself, and hoped they would continue there 
for some time, but they had barely finished when 
the rapid gallop of several animals was heard, 
and scared them away instantly. 

The new comers were evidently heavy brutes, 
for their tread was loud and quite distinct as 
compared with the steps of the antelopes. A 
few seconds sufficed to disclose them to our ex- 
pectant eyes. A large herd of giraffes trotted to 
the water’s edge and began to drink. It was a 
splendid sight to behold these graceful creatures 
stooping to drink, and then raising their heads 


ALARM. 


293 


haughtily to a towering height as they looked 
about from side to side. In the course of a 
couple of hours we saw elands, springboks, gnus, 
leopards, and an immense variety of wild crea- 
tures, some of which fawned on and played with 
each other, while others fought and bellowed un- 
til the woods resounded with the din. 

While we were silently enjoying the sight, and 
I attempting to make a few entries in my note- 
book, our attention was attracted to a cracking 
of the branches close to the right side of the hil- 
lock. 

“ Look otit ! ” whispered Jack ; but the warn- 
ing was scarcely needed, for we instinctively 
seized our rifles. A moment after, our hearts 
leaped violently as we heard a crashing step 
that betokened the approach of some huge crea- 
ture. 

“ Are we safe here ? ” I whispered to Jack. 

“ Safe enough if we keep still. But we shall 
have to cut and run if an elephant chances to 
get sight of us.” 

I confess that at that moment I felt uneasy. 
The hillock on the summit of which we lay was 
only a place of comparative safety, because no 
animal was likely to ascend an elevated spot 
without an object in view, and as the purpose of 
all the nocturnal visitors to that pond was the 
procuring of water, we did not think it probable 
that any of them would approach unpleasantly 
25 * 


294 


A LITTLE TOO NEAR# 


near to our citadel ; but if any wild beast should 
take a fancy to do so, there was nothing to pre- 
vent him, and the slight screen of bushes by which 
we were surrounded, would certainly have been 
no obstacle in the way. 

A hunter in the African wilds, however, has 
not much time to think. Danger is usually upon 
him in a moment. We had barely time to full- 
cock our rifles when the bushes near us were 
trodden down, and a huge black rhinoceros saun- 
tered slowly up to us. So near was he that we 
could have sprung out from our hiding-place, 
and have caught hold of him had we chosen to 
do so. 

This enormous unwieldy monster seemed to 
me so large that he resembled an elephant on 
short legs, and in the dim mysterious moonlight 
I could almost fancy him to be one of those 
dreadful monsters of the antediluvian world of 
which we read so much in these days of geologi- 
cal research. I held my breath and glanced at 
my comrades. They lay perfectly motionless 
with their eyes fixed on the animal, which hesi- 
tated on approaching our hillock. My blood 
almost stagnated in my veins. I thought that 
he must have observed us,- or smelt us, and was 
about to charge. He was, only undecided as to 
which side of the hillock he should pass by on 
his way to the pond. Turning to the left, he 
went down to the water with a heavy rolling 


ELEPHANTS. 


295 


gait, crushing the shrubs under his ponderous 
feet in a way that filled me with an exalted idea 
of his tremendous power. 

I breathed freely again, and felt as if a mighty 
load had been lifted off me. From the suppressed 
sighs vented by my comrades, I judge that they 
also had experienced somewhat similiar relief. 
We had not, however, had time to utter a whis- 
per before our ears were assailed by the most 
tremendous noise that we had yet heard. It 
came from the opposite side of the pool, as if a 
great torrent were rushing toward us. Presently 
a black billow seemed to burst out of the jungle, 
and roll down the sloping bank of the pond. 

“ Elephants ! ” exclaimed Jack. 

u Impossible,” said I, u they must be buffa- 
loes.” 

At that instant they emerged into the full blaze 
of the moon and showed themselves to be a herd 
of full-grown elephants with a number of calves. 
There could not have been fewer than one hun- 
dred on the margin of the pond, but from the 
closeness of their ranks and their incessant move- 
ments, I found it impossible to count their num- 
bers accurately. This magnificent army began 
to drink and throw water about, waving their 
trunks, and trumpeting shrilly at the same time 
with the utmost delight. The young ones es- 
pecially seemed to enjoy themselves immensely, 
and I observed that their mothers were very at- 


296 


BREAKING THROUGH RULES. 


tentive to them, caressing them with their trunks 
and otherwise showing great fondness for their 
offspring. 

“ I say,” whispered Peterkin, u what a regi- 
ment of cavalry these fellows would make, 
mounted by gorillas armed with scythe-blades 
for swords, and highland claymores for dirks! ” 

“ Ay, and cannon-revolvers in their pockets ! ” 
added Jack, “ but, look, that hideous old rhinoce- 
ros. He has been standing there for the last 
two minutes like a rock, staring intently across 
the water at the elephants.” 

“ Hush,” said I, “ whisper softly. He may 
hear us.” 

“ There goes something else on our side,” 
whispered Peterkin, pointing to the right of our 
hillock. u Don’t you see it? There against the 
— I do believe it’s another giraffe ! ” 

“ Bo it is ! Keep still. His ears are sharp,” 
muttered Jack, examining the lock of his rifle. 

“ Come, come,” said I, “ no shooting, Jack. 
You know we came to see, not to shoot.” 

“ Very true, but it’s not every day one gets 
such a close shot at a giraffe. “ I must procure a 
specimen for you, Ralph.” 

Jack smiled as he said this and raised his rifle. 
Peterkin at the same moment quietly raised his, 
saying, “ If that’s your game, my boy, then here 
goes at the rhinoceros. Don’t hurry your aim. 
We ve lots of time.” 


UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. 297 

As I waited for the reports with breathless at- 
tention, I was much struck at that moment by 
the singularity of the circumstances in which we 
were placed. On our left stood the rhinoceros, 
not fifteen yards off. On our right, the giraffe 
raised his long neck above the bushes, about 
twenty yards distant, apparently uncertain 
whether it was safe to advance to the water ; 
while in front lay the lake reflecting the soft 
clear moonlight, and beyond that the phalanx of 
elephants enjoying themselves vastly. I had but 
two moments to take it all in at a glance ; for 
Jack said, “ Now ! ” in a low tone, and instantly 
the loud report of the two rifles thundered out 
upon the night air. 

Words cannot convey, and the reader certainly 
cannot conceive any idea of the trumpeting, roar- 
ing, crashing, shrieking, and general hubbub that 
succeeded to the noise of our fire-arms. It seemed 
as if the wild beasts of twenty menageries had 
simultaneously commenced to smash the wood- 
work of their cages, and to dash out upon each 
other in mingled fury and terror ; for not only was 
the crashing of boughs, and bushes, and smaller 
trees quite terrific, but the thunderous tread of 
the large animals was absolutely awful. 

We were thoroughly scared, for, in addition to 
all this, from the midst of the horrid turmoil there 
came forth a royal roar close behind us, that told 
of a lion having been secretly engaged in watch- 


298 


SURROUNDED. 


ing our proceedings ; and we shuddered to think 
that, but for our firing, he might have sprung 
upon us as we lay there, little dreaming of his 
presence. 

Since our last adventure with the king of 
beasts, Makarooroo had entertained us with 
many anecdotes of the daring of lions, especially 
of those monsters that are termed man-eaters ; 
so that when we heard the roar above referred 
to, we all three sprang to our feet, and faced 
about with the utmost alacrity. So intent were 
we on looking for this dreadful foe — for we had 
made up our minds that it must be a man-eating 
lion — that we were utterly indifferent to tlie 
other animals. But they were not indifferent to 
us, for the wounded rhinoceros, catching sight 
of us, as we stood witfi our backs toward him, 
charged at once up the hillock. 

To utter three simultaneous, yet fearfully dis- 
tinct yells of terror, spring over the low parapet 
of bushes, and fly like the wind in three different 
directions, was the work of a moment. In dash- 
ing madly down the slope, my foot caught in a 
creeping shrub, and I fell heavily to the earth. 

The fall probably saved my life, for, before I 
could rise, the rhinoceros sprang completely over 
me in its headlong charge. So narrow was my 
escape, that the edge of one of its ponderous feet 
alighted on the first joint of the little finger of 
my left hand, and crushed it severely. Indeed, 


SURROUNDED. 


299 


had the ground not been very soft, it must infal- 
libly have bruised it off altogether. The mo- 
ment it had passed, I jumped up, and turning 
round, ran in the opposite direction. I had 
scarcely gone ten paces, when a furious growl 
behind me, and the grappling sound as of two 
animals in deadly conflict, followed by a fierce 
howl, led me to conclude that the lion and the 
rhinoceros had unexpectedly met each other, and 
that in their brief conflict, the former had come 
off second best. 

But I gave little heed to that. My principal 
thought at that moment was my personal safety ; 
so I ran on as fast as I could in the direction of 
our encampment, for which point, I had no 
doubt, my companions would also make. 

I had not run far when the growl of a lion, 
apparently in front, caused me to stop abruptly. 
Uncertain of the exact position of the brute, I 
turned off’ to one side, and retreated cautiously 
and with as little noise as possible, yet with a 
feeling of anxiety lest he should spring upon me 
unawares. But my next step showed me that 
the lion was otherwise engaged. Pushing aside 
a few leaves that obstructed my vision, I sud- 
denly beheld a lion in the midst of an open 
space, crouched as if for a spring. Instinctively 
I threw forward the muzzle of my rifle ; but a 
single glance showed me that his tail, not his 
head, was toward me. On looking beyond, I 


300 


ENCOUNTER WITH A LION. 


observed the head and shoulders of Jack, who, 
like the lion, was also in a crouching position, 
staring fixedly in the face of his foe. They 
were both perfectly motionless, and there could 
not have been more than fifteen or twenty yards 
between them. 

The true position of affairs at once flashed 
across me. Jack in his flight had unwittingly 
run almost into the jaws of the lion — and I 
now felt convinced that this must be a second 
lion, for it could not have been the one that was 
disturbed by the rhinoceros, as I had been run- 
ning directly away from the spot where these 
two brutes had met. Jack had crouched at 
once. We had often talked, over our camp-fire, 
of such an event as unexpectedly meeting a lion 
face to face ; and Peterkin, who knew a good 
deal about such matters, had said that in such a 
case a man’s only chance was to crouch and 
stare the animal out of countenance. We 
laughed at this; but he assured us positively 
that he had himself seen it done to tigers in In- 
dia, and added, that if a man turned and ran his 
destruction would be certain. To fire straight 
in the face of a lion in such a position would be 
excessively dangerous ; for while the bullet 
might kill, it was more than probable it would 
glance off the bone of the forehead, which 
would be presented at an angle to the hunter. 
The best thing to do, he said, was to stare 


STARE FOR STARE. 


301 


steadily at the creature until it began to wince, 
which, if not a wounded beast, it would certainly 
do ; and then, when it turned slowly round to 
slink away, take aim* at its heart and fire in- 
stantly. 

The moon was shining full in Jack’s face, 
which wore an expression of intense ferocity 1 
had never before witnessed, and had not believed 
it possible that such a look could have been 
called up by him. The lower part of his face, 
being shrouded in his black beard, was undis- 
cern ible ; but his cheeks and forehead were like 
cold marble. His dark brows were compressed 
so tightly that they seemed knotted ; and be- 
neath them his eyes glittered with an intensity 
that seemed to me supernatural. Not a muscle 
moved ; his gaze was fixed ; and it was not diffi- 
cult to fancy that he was actually, instead of ap- 
parently, petrified. 

I could not, of course, observe the visage of 
the lion, and, to say truth, I had no curiosity on 
that point ; for just then it occurred to me that I 
was directly in the line of fire, and that if my 
friend missed the lion there was every probabil- 
ity of his killing me. I was now in an agony 
of uncertainty. I knew not what to do. If I 
were to endeavor to get out of the way, I might, 
perhaps, cause Jack to glance aside, and so in- 
duce the lion to spring. If, on the other hand, 
I should remain where I was, I might be shot. 

26 


302 


POWER OF HUMAN EYE. 


In this dilemma it occurred to me that, as Jack 
was a good shot and the lion was very close, it 
was extremely unlikely that I should be hit ; so 
I resolved to bide my chance, and, offering up a 
silent prayer, awaited the issue. 

It was not long of coming. The fixed gaze 
of a bold human eye cowed at last even the king 
of the woods. The lion slowly and almost im- 
perceptibly rose, and sidled gently round, with 
the intention, doubtless, of bounding into the 
jungle. I saw that if it did so it would pass 
very close to me ; so I cocked both barrels and 
held my piece in readiness. 

The click of my locks attracted the lion’s at- 
tention ; its head turned slightly round. At that 
instant Jack’s rifle sprang to his shoulder, and 
the loud tiJack of its report was mingled' with 
and drowned by the roar of the lion, as he 
sprang with a terrible bound, not past me, but 
straight toward me. I had no time to aim, but 
throwing the gun quickly to my shoulder, drew 
both triggers at once. 

I had forgotten, in my perturbation, that I 
carried Peterkin’s heavy elephant rifle, charged 
with an immense quantity of powder and a 
couple of six-ounce balls. My shoulder was 
almost dislocated by the recoil, and I was fairly 
knocked head over heels. A confused sound of 
yells and roars filled my ear for a moment. I 
struggled to collect my faculties. 


UPSET. 


303 


“Hallo! Jack! Ralph! where are you?” 
shouted a voice that I well knew to be that of 
Peterkin. “ Hurrah ! I’m coming. Don’t give 
in! I’ve killed him! The rhinoceros is dead 
as a door nail ! Where have you — ” 

I heard no more, having swooned away. 








304 


RESUSCITATION. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

STRANGE AND TERRIBLE DISCOVERIES JACK IS 

MADE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF AN ARMY. 

When my consciousness returned, I found my- 
self lying on my back beside our camp-fire, with 
my head resting on Peterkin’s knee ; and the 
first sound I heard, was his pleasant voice, as he 
said — 

“ All right, Jack ; he’s coming round. Pm 
quite certain that no serious damage is done. I 
know well what sort o’ rap he must have got. 
It’ll bother him a little at first, but it won’t last 
long.” 

Comforted not a little by this assurance, I 
opened my eyes and looked up. 

“ What has happened ? ” I inquired faintly. 

“Ah! that’s right, Ralph. I’m glad to. hear 
your voice again. D’you know I thought at first 
it was all over with you ? ” 

“ Over with him ! ” echoed Peterkin ; “ it’s only 
begun with him. Ralph’s days of valorous deeds 
are but comm6ncing. Here, my boy, put this 
flask to your mouth. It’s lucky 1 fetched it with 
us. Here, drink.” 


RESUSCITATION. 


305 


u No, not until you tell me what has oc- 
curred,” said I, for I still felt confused in my 
brain. 

“ Then I won't tell you a word until you 
drink,” repeated my friend, as he looked anx- 
iously in my face and held the flask to my lips. 

I sipped a mouthful, and felt much revived. 

“ Now,” continued Peterkin, “ I’ll tell you what 
has happened. We’ve floored a rhinoceros, 
and a giraffe, and a lion ; which, to my thinking, 
is a pretty fair bag to make after dusk of a Sat- 
urday night ! And my big rifle has floored you , 
which is the least satisfactory part of the night’s 
entertainment, but which wouldn’t have occurred 
had you remembered my instructions, which you 
never do.” 

“ Oh, I recollect now,” said I, as the spirits re- 
vived me. “ I’m all right ; but, Jack, I trust that 
you have not received damage ? ” 

“ Not a scratch, I’m thankful to say ; though 
I must confess, I was near catching an ugly 
wound.” 

“ How so ? ” I inquired quickly, observing a 
peculiar smile on Jack’s face as he spoke. 

“ Oh, make your mind easy,” put in Peterkin ; 
“it was just a small bit of an escape he made. 
When you let drive at the lion so effectively, one 
of the balls went in at his mouth, and smashed 
its wav out at the back of his skull. The other 
26 * 


306 


PETERKIN REBUKED. 


ball shaved his cheek, and lodged in a tree not 
two inches from Jack’s nose.” 

“ Yon don’t mean it ! ” cried I, starting up, re- 
gardless of the pain occasioned to my injured 
shoulder by the movement, and gazing intently 
in Jack’s face. 

“ Come, come,” said he smiling ; “ you must 
not be so reckless, Ralph. Lie down again, 
sir.” 

“ Peterkin, you should not talk lightly of so 
narrow an escape,” said I, reproachfully. u The 
fact that such a terrible catastrophe has nearly 
occurred, ought to scflemnize one.” 

“ Granted, my dear boy ; but the fact that 
such a catastrophe did not occur, ought, I hold, 
to make us jolly. There’s no managing a fellow 
like you, Ralph, I knew that if I told you of 
this gravely, you would get into such a state 
of consternational - self - reproachativeness, so to 
speak, that you would infallibly make yourself 
worse. And now that I tell it to you ‘ lightly,’ 
as you call it, you take to blowing me up.” 

I smiled as my friend said this, and held out 
my hand, which he grasped and squeezed. Feel- 
ing at the moment overcome with drowsiness, I 
unconsciously retained it in my grasp, and thus 
fell sound asleep. 

Three days after this misadventure, I was 
nearly as well as ever, and we were once more 
journeying by forced marches toward the south. 


DESERT LAND. 


307 


Two days more, we calculated, would bring us to 
Mbango’s village. As the end of our journey 
approached, we grew more desperately anxious 
to push forward, lest we should be too late to 
give them timely warning of the slave-dealer’s 
approach. We also became more taciturn, and 
I could see plainly that the irresistible forebod- 
ings that filled my own heart, were shared by 
my companions. Poor Makarooroo never spoke, 
save in reply to questions addressed pointedly to 
himself. And, seeing the state of his mind, we 
forbore to trouble him with conversation. 

Yet, even while in this anxious state, I could 
not avoid noticing the singular variety and 
beauty of both the animal and vegetable king- 
dom in the regions through which we passed. 

In one part of our journey we had to cross a 
portion of what is called desert country, but 
which, notwithstanding its name, was covered 
with grass, and, in many places, with bushes, and 
even trees. Its vegetation, however, as com- 
pared with other parts of the country, was light, 
and it was almost entirely destitute of water — 
there being no rivers or springs, only a few pools 
of rain-water were to be found in the hard beds 
of ancient river-courses. This desert land was 
inhabited by numbers of bushmen and other na- 
tives, as well as by large quantities of game of 
various kinds. But what struck me as being 
most singular, was the great variety of tuberous 


308 


TUBER-ROOTS. 


roots with which the region was supplied, and 
which were evidently designed by our beneficent 
Creator to make up to the inhabitants in a 
great degree for the want of a full supply of 
water. 

I also observed, with much interest, a species 
of plant which, like man, is capable of being, as 
it were, acclimatized. It is not by nature a 
tuber-bearing plant ; yet here it had become so, 
in order to be able to retain a sufficiency of mois- 
ture during the dry season. Makarooroo also 
dug up for us several tuber-roots, which were the 
size of a large turnip, and filled with a most 
delicious juice, which, as we were much op- 
pressed with thirst at the time, appeared to us 
like nectar. Besides these, we also procured 
water-melons in abundance at certain spots ; 
which were, a great treat, not only to us, but also 
to elephants, rhinoceroses, antelopes, and many 
other animals, whose foot-prints we found in 
great numbers, and whose depredations among 
the water-melons were very evident. 

During the whole of this journey, we made a 
point, as I have already remarked, of avoiding 
man ; not that we were indifferent to him, but 
anxious not to be detained at that particular 
time. We were very fortunate in this matter, 
for we succeeded in eluding the observation of 
the natives of many villages that we passed, in 
escaping others by flight, and in conciliating 


A WONDERFUL TREE. 


309 


those who caught us, by making them liberal 
gifts of beads. 

One day we came to a halt under the most 
magnificent tree I ever saw. It was a mowano 
tree, whose trunk consisted of six stems united 
in one. The circumference, a yard or so from 
the ground, was eighty-four feet, — upwards of 
nine yards in diameter. 

“ What a tree for a nobleman’s park ! ” said 
Jack, as we gazed at it, lost in admiration. 

“ Ay ; and behold a gentleman worthy to take 
up his residence under it,” said Peterkin, point- 
ing as he spoke to a living creature that sat 
among the grass near its roots. 

u What can it be ? ” I exclaimed. 

“ The original father of all frogs ! ” replied 
Peterkin, as he darted forward and killed the thing 
with a stick. 

“ I believe it is a frog,” said Jack. 

We all burst into a fit of laughter, for un- 
doubtedly it was a frog, but certainly the largest 
by far that any of us had ever seen. It was quite 
as large as a chicken ! 

“ What a shame to have killed it ! ” said I. 
u Why did you do it ? ” 

“ Shame ! it was no shame. In the first place, 
I killed it, because I wish you to make a scientific 
inspection of it; and in the second place, I 
wanted to eat it. Why should not we as well 
as Frenchmen eat frogs ? By the way, that re- 


310 


SIGNS OF A FIGHT. 


minds me that we might introduce this giant 
species into France, and thereby make our for- 
tunes.” 

“ You greedy fellow,” cried Jack, who was 
busying himself in lighting the fire, “ your for- 
tune is made already. How many would you 
have ? ” 

u D’ye know, Jack, I have been in possession 
of my fortune, as you call it, so short a time, that 
I cannot realize the fact that I have it. Hallo ! 
Mak ! what’s wrong with you ? ” 

Peterkin thus addressed our guide because he 
came into the camp at that moment with a very 
anxious expression of countenance. 

“ Dere hab bin fight go on here,” said he, 
showing several broken arrows stained with 
blood, which he had picked up near our encamp- 
ment. 

“ Ha ! so there has, unless these have been 
shot at wild beasts,” said Jack, examining the 
weapons carefully. 

“ No, massa. No shot at wild beast. De wild 
beast hab bin here too, but dey come for to eat 
mans after he dead.” 

“ Come, let us see the spot,” said Jack. 

JVtakarooroo at once led the way, and we all 
followed him to a place not a hundred yards dis- 
tant, where there were evident traces of a fight 
having taken place. Jack seemed to be much 
distressed at the sight. 


SIGNS OF A FIGHT. 


311 


“ There can be no question as to the fact,” he 
remarked as we returned to our fire ; “ and at 
any other time or in any other place I would 
have thought nothing of it, for we know well 
enough that the natives here often go to war 
with each other; but just at this time, and so 
near to our friend Mbango — I fear, I fear much 
that that villain has been before us.” 

“ No been long, massa,” said Makarooroo ear- 
nestly. If we go quick we ketch ’im.” 

“We shall go quick, Mak. But in order to 
do that, we must eat well, and sleep at least an 
hour or so. If we push on just now, after a 
hard day’s journey, without food or rest, we shall 
make but slow progress ; and even if we did 
come up with the slave-dealer, we should not be 
in a very fit state for a battle.” 

This was so obvious that we all felt the wis- 
dom of Jack’s remarks; so we ate a hearty 
supper, and then lay down to rest. Peterkin de- 
clared the frog to be excellent, but 1 could not at 
that time make up my mind to try it. 

An hour and a half after lying down, our 
guide awakened us, and we set forth again with 
recruited energies. 

That night the lions and hyenas roared around 
us more than was their wont, as if they were 
aware of our anxious condition, and were desir- 
ous of increasing our discomforts. We had to 
keep a sharp look-out, and once or twice dis- 


312 


ANXIOUS SUSPICIONS. 


charged our rifles in the direction of the nearest 
sounds, not in the expectation of hitting any of 
the animals, but for the purpose of scaring them 
away. 

Towards morning we came out upon an open 
plain, and left these evil prowlers of the night 
behind us. 

About daybreak we came within sight of 
Mbango’s village, but the light was not sufficient 
to enable us to distinguish any object clearly. 
Here again we came upon traces of war in the 
shape of broken arrows and daggers, and human 
bones — for the poor wretches who had been 
slain had been at once devoured by wild beasts. 

Hurrying forward with intense anxiety, we 
reached the outskirts of the village ; and here a 
scene presented itself that was well calculated to 
fill our breasts with horror and with the deepest 
anxiety. Many of the houses had been set on 
fire, and were reduced to ashes. The mangled 
corpses of human beings were seen lying here 
and there amongst the embers; some partially 
devoured by wild beasts, others reduced to sim- 
ple skeletons, and their bones left to whiten on 
the ruins of their old homes. In one place the 
form of a woman tied to a tree, and dreadfully 
mangled, showed that torture had been added to 
the other horrors of the attack. 

With feelings of mingled rage, pity, and anx- 
iety, we hastened towards the hut that had been 


TERRIBLE DISCOVERY. 


313 


the residence of Mbango, the chief. We found 
it, like the rest, in ruins, and among them discov- 
ered the remains of a child. Recollecting the 
little son of our friend Njamie, Okandaga’s 
guardian, I turned the body over in some anxi- 
ety ; but the features were too much mutilated 
to be recognizable. 

“ Alas ! alas ! ” I exclaimed, as we collected in 
a group round this remnant of a little child, 
“what a dreadful sight! What an unhappy 
race of beings! Without doubt our friends 
have been slain or carried into captivity.” 

Poor Makarooroo, who had been from the first 
going about among the ruins like a maniac, with 
a bewildered air of utter despair on his sable 
countenance, looked at me as if he hoped for a 
slight word that might reanimate hope in his 
bosom. But I could give him none, for I myself 
felt hopeless. 

Not so Jack. With that buoyancy of spirit 
that was peculiar to him, he suggested many 
ideas that consoled our guide not a little. 

“ You see,” said he, “ the rascally Portuguese 
trafficker in human flesh would naturally try to 
effect his object with as little bloodshed as possi- 
ble. He would just fight until he had con- 
quered, not longer; and then he would try to 
take as many prisoners as he could, in order to 
carry them away into slavery. Now I cannot 
27 


314 


HOPES AND FEAES. 


conceive it possible that he could catch the 
whole tribe. 

“ Of course not,” interrupted Peterldn ; “ he 
had a comparatively small party. To take a 
whole tribe prisoners with such a band were im- 
possible.” 

“ Ay, but you forget,” said I, “ that he might 
easily prevail on some other tribe to go to war 
along with him, and thus capture nearly the 
whole. Yet some must have escaped into the 
woods, and it is probable that among these may 
have been the chief and his household. Okan- 
daga may be safe, and not far off, for all we 
know.” 

The guide shook his head. 

“ At any rate,” observed Jack, u if caught they 
would certainly be guarded with care from in- 
jury; so that if we could only find out which 
way they have gone, we might pursue and attack 
them.” 

“ Four men attack forty or fifty,” said I, de- 
spondingly. 

“ Ay, Ralph ; why not ? ” asked Peterkin. 

“ Oh, I doubt not our pluck to do it,” I re- 
plied ; “ but I doubt very much our chances of 
success.” 

While we were yet speaking our attention 
was attracted by a low wail, and the appearance 
of some living object creeping amongst the 
ruins not far from us. At first we thought it 


A BEREAVED MOTHER. 


315 


must be a beast of prey lurking in the neighbor- 
hood of the dead, and impatient at our having 
interrupted its hideous banquet; but presently 
the object sat up, and proved to be a woman. 
Yet she was so covered with blood and dust, 
and so awfully haggard in appearance, that we 
could with difficulty believe her to be a human 
being. 

At first she appeared to be in ignorance of our 
presence. And indeed so she actually was ; for 
her whole soul was absorbed in the contempla- 
tion of the dead and mangled body of an infant 
which lay in her arms, and which she pressed 
ever and anon with frantic energy to her breast, 
uttering occasionally a wail of such heart-broken 
sadness, that the tears sprang irresistibly into my 
eyes while I gazed upon her. There needed no 
explanation of her tale of woe. The poor mother 
had crept back to her hut after the fierce din of 
battle was over, to search for her child ; and she 
had found it ; but, ah ! who can conceive the un- 
utterable anguish of heart that its finding had 
occasioned ! 

“ Speak to her, Mak,” said Peterkin, in a husky 
voice ; “ she will be less afraid of you, no doubt, 
than of us.” 

Our guide advanced. The slight noise he 
made in doing so, attracted the poor woman’s 
attention, and caused her to look up with a wild 
quick glance. The instant she saw us, she 


316 


CHASING A WOMAN. 


leaped up with the agility of a leopard, clasped 
her dead child tightly to her breast, and uttering 
shriek upon shriek, rushed headlong into the jun- 
gle. 

“ After her ! ” cried Jack, bounding forward in 
pursuit. “ She’s our only chance of gaining in- 
formation.” 

We all felt the truth of this, and joined in the 
chase at top speed. But although we ran fast 
and well, the ' affrighted creature at first out- 
stripped us. Then, as we tired her out, and 
drew near, she doubled on her track, and dived 
hither and thither among the thick underwood in 
a way that rendered it exceedingly difficult to 
catch her. 

Peterkin was the first to come up with her. 
He gradually but perseveringly ran her down. 
When he came within a few yards of her, the 
poor creature sank with a low wail to the ground, 
and turning half round, glanced at her pursuer 
with a timid, imploring, yet despairing expres- 
sion. Alas! despair mingled with it, because 
she knew too well the terrible cruelty of savage 
men when their blood is up, and she knew noth- 
ing yet of the hearts of Christians. 

Peterkin, whose susceptible nature was ever 
easily touched, felt a thrill of self-reproach as the 
thought suddenly occurred that, however good 
his intentions might be, he was in reality running 
a helpless woman down like a bloodhound. He 


CAUGHT. 


317 


stopped short instantly, and acting, as on most 
occasions he did, impulsively, he threw his rifle 
away from him, unclasped his belt, and throw- 
ing it, with his hunting-knife, also away, sat 
down on the ground, and held out both his 
hands. 

There was something almost ludicrous in the 
act, but it had the effect of, to some extent, re- 
lieving the poor woman’s fears. Seeing this, as 
we successively came up we all laid down our 
rifles, and stood before the crouching creature 
with our empty hands extended towards her, to 
show that* we meant her no harm. Still, al- 
though she seemed less terrified, she trembled 
violently, and panted from her recent exertion ; 
but never for a moment relaxed her hold of the 
dead child. 

u Speak to her, Mak,” said Jack, as the guide 
came up. u Tell her who and what we are at 
once, to relieve her feelings ; and let her know 
especially that we are the bitter enemies of the 
villain who has done this deed.” 

While Makarooroo explained, the woman’s 
countenance seemed to brighten up, and in a few 
minutes she began to tell with great volubility 
the events of the attack. The trader, she said, 
had come suddenly on them, in the dead of night 
with a large band, and had at once routed the 
warriors of the village, who were completely 
taken by surprise. A few had escaped ; but 

27* 


318 


INFORMATION. 


Mbango, with Okandaga and his household, had 
been taken prisoners, and carried away with 
many others. 

“ How long is it since this happened ? ” in- 
quired Jack. 

“ She say two days, massa. Den dey go off 
to ’tack King Jambai.” 

“ Ah ! then it is too late to save him,” returned 
Jack, in a tone of sadness. 

Our hearts sank on learning this ; but on ques- 
tioning the woman further, we found that the 
marauding party, deeming themselves too weak 
to attack so large a village as that of King Jam- 
bai, had talked of turning aside to secure the as- 
sistance of another tribe not far distant, who, 
they knew, would be too glad to pick a quarrel 
with that chief. 

“ Then we shall do it yet ! ” cried Jack, spring- 
ing up energetically. “We shall be in time to 
warn Jambai, and to save Okandaga and her 
friends. Come, Male, cheer up. Things begin 
to look better.” 

The cheerful, confident voice in which our 
friend said this, raised my hopes wonderfully, 
even although, on consideration, I could not see 
that our chances of success were very great. 
Our guide was visibly comforted, and we stepped 
aside to pick up our rifles with considerable 
alacrity. 

During the brief period in which we were 


JOURNEY RESUMED. 


319 


thus employed, the poor woman managed to 
creep away, and when we again looked round 
she was gone. Our first impulse was to give 
chase again, but the thought of the needless ter- 
ror which that would occasion her deterred us, 
and before we could make up our minds what to 
do she was almost beyond our reach, and would 
certainly have cost us an hour of search, if not 
longer, to find her. Time pressed. To reach 
the village of King Jambai with the utmost pos- 
sible speed was essential to the safety of the 
tribe, so we resolved to leave her, feeling as we 
did so that the poor creatnre could sustain her- 
self on roots and berries without much difficulty 
or suffering until she reached the village of some 
neighboring tribe. 

We now pushed on again by forced marches, 
travelling by night and by day; shooting just 
enough game as we required for food, and taking 
no more rest than was absolutely necessary to 
enable us to hold on our way. In a short time 
we reached the village, which, to our great joy, 
we found in much the same state as it was 
when we left it. 

King Jambai received us with great delight, 
and his people went into a state of immense re- 
joicing — firing guns, and shouting, and beating 
kettles and drums, in honor of the arrival of the 
“ white-faces ; ” which name was certainly a mis- 
nomer. seeing that our faces had by that time 


320 


ARRIVAL AT JAMBAl’S VILLAGE. 


become the very reverse of white — indeed they 
were little lighter than the countenances of the 
good people by whom we were surrounded. 

But the king’s consternation was very great 
when we told him the reason of our unexpected 
visit, and related to him the details of the terri- 
ble calamity that had befallen poor Mbango and 
his people. He appeared sincerely grateful for 
the effort we had made to warn him of the im- 
pending attack, and seemed unable to express 
his thanks when we offered to aid him in the de- 
fence of his village. 

"We now deemed this a fitting moment to tell 
the 'king boldly of our having assisted in the 
escape of Okandaga from his village, and beg 
his forgiveness. He granted this at once, but 
strongly advised us to keep our secret quiet, and 
leave it to him to account to his warriors for the 
reappearance of the runaway maiden when re- 
taken. Of course we could make no objection 
to this, so after thanking him we entered upon a 
discussion of the best method of frustrating the 
slave -dealer’s designs. 

“ Tell the king,” said Jack, addressing himself 
to our guide, “that if he will make me com- 
mander-in-chief of his forces, I will show him 
how white warriors manage to circumvent their 
enemies.” 

“ I would like much,” said Peterkin, laughing, 
“ to know how Mak will translate the word cir- 


JACK PROMOTED. 


321 


cumvent! Your style is rather flowery, Jack, 
for such an interpreter. And upon my word, 
now I think of it, your presumption is consider- 
able. How do you know that I do not wish to 
be commander-in-chief myself?” 

“ I shall make over the command to you with 
all my heart if you wish it,” said Jack, smiling 
blandly. 

“ Nay, I’ll none of it. However suited I may 
be to the work, the work is not suited to me, so 
I resign in your favor.” 

“ Well, then,” said Jack, “since you decline 
to accept the chief command, “ I’ll make you 
my second. Mak shall be my aide-de-camp; 
you and Ralph shall be generals of divisions.” 

“ I thank you much, my honored and honora- 
ble generalissimo ; but perhaps before being thus 
liberal of your favors, it were well to ascertain 
that your own services are accepted.” 

“That is soon done. What says the king, 
Mak ? ” 

“ Hi ms say that him’s delighted to git you, an’ 
you may doos how you like.” 

“ That’s plain and explicit. You see, Peter- 
kin, that I’m fairly installed, so you and I will 
take a short walk together and hold a consulta- 
tion as to our plans in the approaching cam- 
paign, while Ralph arranges our hut and makes 
things comfortable.” 

“ A glorious campaign, truly, to serve in an 


322 


A FIGHT IN PROSPECT. 


army of baboons, led by a white gorilla! I 
would deem it almost comical, did I not see too 
sure a probability of bloodshed before its conclu- 
sion, ” remarked Peterkin. 

“ That you shall not see, if I can prevent it. 
And it is for the purpose of consulting you on 
that point, and claiming your services in an old 
and appropriate character, that I drag you along 
with me now,” said Jack, as he rose, and, mak- 
ing a bow to the king, left the hut. 


PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. 


323 


CHAPTER XIX. 

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR, AND PECULIAR DRILL. 

« 

The plan which Jack and Peterkin concocted, 
while I was engaged in making the interior of 
our old residence as comfortable as possible, was 
as follows : — 

Scouts were, in the first place, to be sent out 
that night all over the country, to ascertain the 
whereabouts of the enemy. Then, when the en- 
emy should be discovered, they were to send 
back one of their number to report, while the re- 
mainder should remain to dog their steps, if need 
be, in order to ascertain whether Mbango and 
Okandaga were in their possession, and, if so, 
where they were kept, whether in the midst of 
the warriors, or in the rear. 

This settled, the remainder of the warriors of 
the village were to be collected together, and a 
speech to be made to them by Jack, who should 
explain to them that they were to be divided into 
two bands. All who carried guns to be placed 
under the immediate charge of Jack himself. 
The others, carrying bows and spears, to be 
placed under me. Peterkin was to act a pecu- 


324 


PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. 


liar part, which will appear in the course of nar- 
ration.- 

Having partaken of a hearty supper, we as- 
sembled the scouts, and having, through Maka- 
rooroo, given them their instructions, sent them 
away just as the shades of night began to fall. 
We next caused a huge bonfire to be kindled, 
and round this all the men of the village assem- 
bled, to the extent of several hundreds. The 
king soon appeared, and mounting the trunk of 
a fallen tree, made a long speech to his warriors, 
telling them of the danger that threatened them 
in such vivid and lively terms, that the greater 
part of them began to exhibit expressions of con- 
siderable uneasiness on their countenances. He 
then told them of the trouble that we had taken 
in order to give them timely warning — whereat 
they cast upon us looks of gratitude ; and after 
that, introduced Jack to them as their com- 
mander-in-chief, saying, that as a white man led 
the enemy, nothing could be better than that a 
white man should lead them to meet the enemy 
— whereat the sable warriors gave a shout of sat- 
isfaction and approval. 

Having been thus introduced, Jack mounted 
the trunk of the fallen tree, and Makarooroo got 
up beside him to interpret. He began, like a 
wise diplomatist, by complimenting King Jam- 
bai, and spoke at some length on courage in gen- 
eral, and on the bravery of King Jambai’s war- 


PECULIAR DRILL. 


325 


riors in particular ; which, of course, he took for 
granted. Then he came to particulars, and ex- 
plained as much of his intended movements as 
he deemed it good for them to know ; and 
wound up by saying that he had three words of 
command to teach them, which they must learn 
to understand and act upon that very night. 
They were u Forward ! ” “ Halt ! ” and “ Fire ! ” 
By saying the first of these words very slow and 
in a drawling voice, thus — u Forw-a-a-a-a-a-rcf ! ” 
and the second in a quick sharp tone, and the 
third in a ferocious yell that caused the whole 
band to start, he actually got them to understand 
and distinguish the difference between the com- 
mands, and to act upon them, in the course of 
half an hour. 

The drill of his army being thus completed, 
Jack dismissed them with a caution to hold 
themselves in readiness to answer promptly the 
first call to arms ; and the king enforced the cau- 
tion by quietly assuring them that the man who 
did not attend to this order, and otherwise re- 
spect and obey Jack as if he were the king, 
should have his heart, eyes, and liver torn out, 
and the rest of his carcass cast to the dogs, — a 
threat which seemed to us very horrible and 
uncalled for, but which, nevertheless, was re- 
ceived by the black warriors with perfect indif- 
ference. 

« Now, Mak,” said Jack, as he descended to 
28 


326 


NEWS OF THE ENEMY. 


the ground, “ do you come with me, and help me 
to place sentries.” 

“ W’at be dat, massa ? ” 

“ Men who are placed to guard the village 
from surprise during the night,” explained Jack. 

“ Ho ! dat be de ting ; we know something 
’bout dat.” 

“ No doubt you do, but I daresay you don’t 
know the best way to place them ; and perhaps 
you are not aware that the pretty little threat ut- 
tered by the king, shall be almost carried out in 
the case of every man who shall be found asleep 
at his post, or who shall desert it.” 

The guide grinned, and followed his com- 
mander in silence, while I returned to our hut 
and busied myself in cleaning the rifles and 
making other preparations for the expected 
fight. 

At an early hour on the following morning we 
were awakened by the arrival of one of the scouts, 
who reported that the Portuguese trader, with a 
strong and well-armed force, was encamped on 
the margin of a small pond about fifteen miles 
distant from the village. The scout had gone 
straight to the spot on being sent out, knowing 
that it was a likely place for them to encamp, if 
they should encamp at all. And here he found 
them making active preparations for an attack 
on the village. Creeping like a serpent through 
the grass, the scout approached near enough to 


HOPE PiEVIVED. 


327 


overhear their arrangements, which were to the ef- 
fect, that the attack should take place at mid- 
night of the following day. He observed that 
there were many prisoners in the camp, men, 
women, and children ; and these were to be left 
behind, in charge of a small party of armed men, 
while the main body under the immediate com- 
mand of the Portuguese trader, should proceed 
to the attack of the village. 

From the scout’s description of the prisoners, 
we became convinced that they were none other 
than our friends Mbango and his people, and 
one woman answering to the description of 
Okandaga was among them. 

“ So, Mak, we shall save her yet,” cried Jack, 
heartily, slapping the shoulder of the guide, 
whose honest visage beamed with returning 
hope. 

“ Yis, massa. S’pose we go off dis hour and 
fight ’em ? ” 

“ Nay, that were somewhat too hasty a move- 
ment. 4 Slow but sure,’ must be our mot#) until 
night. Then we shall pounce upon our foes like 
a leopard on his prey. But ask the scout if that 
is all he has got to tell us.” 

44 Hims say, massa, dat hims find one leetle 
chile — one boy — when hims go away from de 
camp to come back to here.” 

44 A boy ! ” repeated Jack, 44 where — how ? ” 

44 In de woods, where hims was trow’d to die, 
so de scout take him up and bring him to here.” 


328 


A DISCOVERY. 


“ Ah, poor child ! ” said I ; “ no doubt it must 
have been sick, and, being a burden, had been 
left behind. But stay, how could that be possi- 
ble if it was found between the camp and this 
village ? ” 

On further inquiry, we ascertained that the 
scout, after hearing what he thought enough of 
their arrangements, had travelled some distance 
beyond the encampment, in order to make sure 
that there were no other bands connected with 
the one he had left, and it was while thus en- 
gaged that he stumbled on the child, which 
seemed to be in a dying condition. 

“ Hims say, too,” continued Makarooroo, after 
interpreting the above information, “that there 
be one woman in awfable sorrow, screeching and 
hollerowin’ like one lion.” 

“ Eh ? ” exclaimed Peterkin. “ Describe her to 
us.” 

The scout did so as well as he could. 

“ As sure as we live,” cried Peterkin, “ it is our 
friend ^ijamie, and the child must be her boy! 
Come, show us the little fellow.” 

We all ran out and followed the scout to his 
hut, where we found his wives — for he had 
three of them — nursing the child as tenderly as 
if it had been their own. It was very much 
wasted, evidently through want of food and over 
fatigue, but we instantly recognized the once 
sturdy little son of Njamie, in the faded little be- 


A DISCOVERY. 


329 


mg before us. He, too, recognized us, for his 
bright spectral eyes opened wide when he saw us. 

“ I knew it,” said I. 

“ I told you so,” cried Peterkin. “ Now, Mak, 
pump him, and let’s hear what he knows.” 

The poor child was far too much exhausted to 
undergo the pumping process referred to. He 
could merely answer that Njamie, and Okan- 
daga, and Mbango were prisoners in the camp, 
and then turned languidly away, as if he desired 
rest. 

“ Poor boy,” said Peterkin, tenderly, as he laid 
his hand gently on the child’s woolly pate. 
u Tell them, Mak, to look well after him here, 
and they shall be paid handsomely for — nay 
(here he interrupted himself), don’t say that. 
’Tis a bad thing to offer to pay for that which 
people are willing to do for love.” 

“ Right, lad,” said Jack ; “ we can easily make 
these poor folk happy by giving them something 
afterwards, without saying that it is bestowed 
because of their kindness to the boy. The "proper 
reward of diligent, successful labor, is a prize ; 
but the best reward of love and kindness is a 
hearty recognition of their existence. Just tell 
them, Mak, that we are glad to see them so 
good and attentive to the little chap. And now, 
my generals, if it is consistent with your other 
engagements, I would be glad to have a little 
private consultation with you.” 

28* 


330 


OBSERVATIONS ON DIVISION. 


“ Ready and willing, my lord,” said Peterkin, 
as we followed Jack toward the king’s palace. 
“ But,” he added, seriously, “ I don’t like to be a 
general of division at all.” 

“ Why not, Peterkin ? ” 

“ Why, you see, when I was at school I found 
division so uncommonly difficult, and suffered so 
much mentally and physically in the learning of 
it, that I have a species of morbid antipathy to 
the very name. I even intend to refuse a seat 
in parliament, when offered to me, because of 
the divisions that are constantly going on there. 
If you could only make me a general of subtrac- 
tion, now, or — ” 

“ That,” interrupted Jack, “ were easily done, 
by deducting you from the force altogether, and 
commanding you to remain at home.” 

“ In which case,” rejoined Peterkin, “ I should 
have to become general of addition, by revolun- 
teering my services, in order to prevent the 
whole expedition from resolving itself into Gen- 
eral Muddle, whose name and services are well 
known in all branches of military and civil ser- 
vice.” 

“So lhat,” added Jack, “it all comes to this, 
that you and Ralph and I must carry on the war 
by rule of three, each taking his just and appro- 
priate proportion of the work to be done. Now, 
to change the subject, there’s the sun getting up, 
and so is the king, if I may judge from the stir 
in his majesty’s household.” 


OUR ARMY. 


331 


Having begged the king to assemble his war- 
riors together, Jack now proceeded to divide them 
into four companies, or bands, over which he 
appointed respective leaders. All the men who 
possessed guns were assembled together in one 
band, numbering about a hundred and fifty men. 
These Jack subdivided into two companies, one 
including a hundred, the other fifty men. The 
remainder, constituting the main army, were 
armed with bows and arrows, spears and knives. 
Of these a large force was told off to remain be- 
hind and guard the village. 

This home guard was placed under command 
of the king in person. The hundred musketeers 
were placed under Peterkin’s command. The 
other fifty were given to me, along with a hun- 
dred spear and bowmen. Jack himself took 
command of the main body of spearmen. As 
Peterkin had to act a special and independent 
part, besides commanding his hundred musket- 
eers, Makarooroo was made over to him, to act 
as lieutenant. 

All these arrangements and appointments 
were made in a cool, quiet, and arbitrary man- 
ner by Jack, to whom the natives, including the 
king, looked up with a species of awe, amount- 
ing almost to veneration. 

“ Now,” said our commander-in-chief to Lieu- 
tenant Mak, “ tell the niggers I am going to 
make them a speech (this was received with a 


332 


JACK SPEECHIFIES. 


grunt of satisfaction), and that if they wish to 
have the smallest chance of overcoming their 
enemies, they had better give their closest atten- 
tion to what I have to say.” 

Another grunt of acquiescence, followed this 
announcement. 

“ Say that I am going to speak to them of 
things so mysterious, that they shall not by 
any conceivable or possible effort understand 
them.” 

This, being quite in accordance with the super- 
stitions and tastes of the negroes, was received 
with eager acclamations of delight. 

“ Tell them,” continued Jack, in a deep, sol- 
emn tone, and frowning darkly, “ that we shall 
gain the victory only through obedience . Each 
man must keep his ears open, and his eye on his 
leader, and must obey orders at once . If the 
order, 1 Halt ’ should be given, and any man 
should have his mouth open at that time, he 
must keep his mouth open, and shut it after he 
has halted.” 

Here Jack took occasion to revert to the three 
orders, “ Forward,” “ Halt,” and “ Fire,” and re- 
peated the lesson several times, until his men 
were quite perfect. Then he put the various 
bodies under their respective commanders, and 
telling the musketeers to make believe to fire (but 
making sure that they should not really do 
it by taking their guns from them), he made each 


NEW STYLE OF DRILL. 


333 


of ns give the various words separately, so 
that our men should become familiar with our 
voices. 

This done, he called the generals of divisions 
to him, and said : — 

“ Now, gentlemen, I am going to review my 
troops, and to give them their final lesson in mil- 
itary tactics, with the double view of seeing that 
they know what they have got to do, and of im- 
pressing them with a due sense of the great ad- 
vantage of even a slight knowledge of drill.” 

He then directed us to take command of our 
several companies (Makarooroo being placed on 
this occasion over the king’s band), and pointed 
out the separate directions in which we were ul- 
timately to post our troops, so as to advance 
upon the spot on which the king stood, when the 
signal should be given. We had already taught 
the men the necessity of attacking in a compact 
single line, and of forming up into this position 
from what is termed Indian file, with which lat- 
ter they were already acquainted. Of course we 
could not hope to teach them the principles of 
wheeling, in the short time at our command. To 
overcome this difficulty, we told each band to 
follow its leader, who should walk in front ; to 
advance when he advanced, to retire when he 
retired, and to turn this way or that way accord- 
ing to his movements. 

At a signal we gave the word “ Forward ! ” 
and the whole band defiled into the woods be- 


334 


NEW STYLE OF DRILL. 


fore the king, and disappeared like a vision, to 
the unutterable amazement of his majesty, who 
stood perfectly motionless, with eyes and mouth 
open to their fullest extent. 

Having marched together for some distance, 
each leader detached his men, and led them, as 
it were, to opposite directions of the compass, 
three of the bands making a considerable detour 
in order to get to the spot where the king stood in 
the centre of us. Then we halted and awaited 
the next signal. In about ten minutes it was 
given — a loud whistle — and we gave the word 
“ Forward ” again. I say “ we,” because the re- 
sult proved that we had done so. Being out of 
sight of the other bands, of course I could not 
see how they acted. 

On I rushed over brake and bush and morass, 
my men following me in a very good line, con- 
sidering the nature of the ground. I had divided 
them into four lines, with an interval of about 
six yards between each. And it was really won- 
derful how well they kept in that position. The 
other companies had been ordered to act in the 
same way. 

On bursting out of the woods I saw that we 
had outstripped the other companies, so I held 
my men in check by running somewhat slower ; 
and they had been so deeply impressed with the 
fatal consequences of not doing exactly as I did, 
that they stared at me with all their eyes, to the 
no small risk of their lives, for one or two dashed 


NEW STYLE OF DRILL. 


335 


against trees, and others tumbled head over heels 
into holes in their anxiety to keep their eyes 
upon me. 

In a few seconds I observed Peterkin spring 
out of the woods followed by his men, so I went 
on again at full speed. As we entered the vil- 
lage, our ranks were sadly broken and confused 
by the huts, but on gaining the open space where 
Jack stood, I was pleased to observe that the 
negroes tried, of their own accord, to regain their 
original formation, and succeeded so well, that 
we came on in four tolerably straight and com- 
pact lines. Each commander having been fore- 
warned to hold his men in check, or to push for- 
ward, so as to arrive at the central point at the 
same moment, Jack, Peterkin, Makarooroo, and 
I ran in upon the king together, and unitedly 
gave the word “ Halt ! ” whereupon we found 
ourselves in the centre of a solid square. 

Bo deeply had the men been impressed with 
the necessity of obedience, that they had scarcely 
observed each other’s approach. They now 
stood rooted to the ground in every possible atti- 
tude of suddenly arrested motion, and all with 
their eyes and mouths wide open. In another 
moment the result of their combined movement 
became evident to them, and they uttered a yell 
of delighted surprise. 

“Very good, very good, indeed,” said Jack; 
u and that concluding yell was very effective — 
quite magnificent. But you see,” he added, 


336 


NEW STYLE OF DRILL. 


turning to me, “although such a yell is suffi- 
ciently appalling to us, it will no doubt be a 
mere trifle to men who are used to it. What 
say you to teaching them a British cheer ? ” 

“ Absurd,” said I ; “ they will never learn to 
give it properly.” 

“ I don’t know that,” rejoined Jack, in a doubt- 
ful manner. 

“ Try,” said Peterkin. 

“ So I will. Mak, tell them now that I’m go- 
ing to continue the speech which this little re- 
view interrupted.” 

“ They’s all ready for more, massa.” 

This was patent to the meanest capacity, for 
the negroes stood gazing at their commander-in- 
chief with eyes and mouths and ears open, and 
nostrils expanded, as if anxious to gulp in and 
swallow down his words through every organ. 

“ There is a cry,” said Jack, “ which the white 
man gives when he enters into battle — a terri- 
ble cry, which is quite different from that of the 
black man, and which is so awful that it strikes 
terror into the heart of the white man’s enemies, 
and has even been known to make a whole army 
fly almost without a shot being fired. We shall 
let you hear it.” 

Thereupon Jack and I and Peterkin gave 
utterance to a cheer of the most vociferous de- 
scription, which evidently filled the minds of the 
natives with admiration. 


THE BRITISH CHEER. 


337 


" Now,” resumed Jack, “ I wish my black war- 
riors to try that cheer — ” 

Some of the black warriors, supposing that 
the expression of this wish was a direct invita- 
tion to them to begin, gave utterance to a terrific 
howl. 

44 Stay ! stop ! ” cried Jack, holding up his 
hand. Every mouth was closed instantly. 

M You must cheer by command. I will say 
1 Hip, hip, hip ! ’ three times ; as soon as I say 
the third hip, out with the cry. Now then, — 
Hip, hip — ” 

“ ’Popotamus,” whispered Peterkin. 

u Hip ! hurrah ! ” shouted Jack. 

Hurl ! ho ! sh ! kee ! how ! ” yelled the sav- 
ages, each man giving his own idea of our terror- 
inspiring British cheer. 

“ That will do,” said Jack quietly ; “ it is quite 
evident that the war-cry of the white man is not 
suited to the throat of the black. You will utter 
your usual shout my friends, when the signal is 
given, but, remember , not before that. 

“ And now, I come to the greatest mystery of 
all.” (Every ear was eagerly attentive.) “ The 
shot and bits of metal and little stones with 
which King Jambai’s warriors are accustomed 
to kill, will not do on this great and peculiar 
occasion. They will not answer the purpose — 
my purpose ; therefore I have provided a kind of 
bullet which every one must use instead of his 
29 


338 


EXTRAORDINARY BULLETS. 


usual shot. No warriors ever used such bullets 
in the fight before. They are very precious, be- 
cause I have only enough of them to give one to 
each man. But that will do. If the enemy does 
not fly at the first discharge, then you may load 
with your own shot.” 

So saying, Jack, with the utmost gravity, took 
from the pouch that hung at his side a handful 
of little balls of paper, about the size of a mus- 
ket bullet, which he began to distribute among 
the savages. We had observed Jack making 
several hundreds of these the night previous to 
this memorable day out of one or two newspa- 
pers we had carried along with us for wadding ; 
but he would not at that time tell us what he 
was going to do with them. The negroes re- 
ceived this novel species of ammunition with 
deep interest and surprise. Never having seen 
printed paper before, or, in all probability, paper 
of any kind, they were much taken up with the 
mysterious characters imprinted thereon, and, no 
doubt, regarded these as the cause of the super- 
natural power which the bullets were supposed 
to possess. 

“ Remember,” said Jack, “ when these are dis- 
charged at the enemy, I do not say that they will 
kill, but I do say that they will cause the enemy 
to fly. Only, be assured that every thing de- 
pends on your obedience. And if one single 
stone, or nail, or hard substance is put in along 


WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS. 


339 


with these ballets, the chief part of my plans will 
be frustrated. 

It was quite evident, from the expression of 
their sable countenances, that the idea of the 
bullets not killing was any thing but agreeable. 
They were too deeply impressed, however, with 
Jack’s power, and too far committed in the enter- 
prise, and, generally, too much overwhelmed 
with mingled surprise and perplexity, to offer 
any objection. 

“ Now,” said Jack in conclusion, “ you may 
go and eat well. To-night, when it grows dark, 
hold yourselves in readiness to go forth in dead 
silence . Mind that ; not a sound to be uttered 
until the signal , 1 Hip, hip, hip ! ’ is given.” 

u And,” added Peterkin, in an under tone, to 
Makarooroo, “tell them that King Jambai ex- 
pects that every man will do his duty.” 

This remark was received with a shout and a 
frightful display of w hite teeth, accompanied by 
a tremendous flourish of guns, bows, and spears. 

There was something quite awful, not to say 
picturesque, in this displaying of teeth, which 
took place many times during the course of the 
above proceedings. You looked upon a sea of 
black, ebony balls, each having two white dots 
with black centres near the top of it. Suddenly 
the ebony balls were gashed across, and a sort 
of storm, as it were, of deep red mingled with 
pure white, swept over the dark cloud of heads 
before you, and vanished as quickly as it had 


340 


WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS. 


appeared, only to reappear, however, at the next 
stroke of humor, or at some u touch of that na- 
ture,” which is said, on very high authority, to 
u make the whole world kin.” 

The proceedings eventually closed with a 
brief speech from the king, who referred to Peter- 
kin’s remark about each man doing his duty, 
and said that “ if each man did not do his 
duty — here his majesty paused for a minute 
and wrought his countenance into horrible con- 
tortions, indicative of the most excruciating 
agony, and wound up with an emphatic repeti- 
tion of that dire threat about the unnatural treat- 
ment of the eyes, heart, liver, and carcass, which 
had on the previous evening sounded so awful 
in our ears, and had been treated with such pro- 
found indifference by those whom it was spe- 
cially designed to affect. 

“ I didn’t know, Jack,” observed Peterkin 
gravely, as we returned to our hut, “ that you 
were such an out-and-out humbug.” 

“ You are severe, Peterkin ; I scarcely deserve 
to be called a humbug for acting to the best of 
my judgment in peculiar circumstances.” 

“ Peculiar circumstances ! ” responded Peter* 
kin. “ Truly they have received peculiar treat- 
ment ! ” 

“ That is as it should be,” rejoined Jack ; “ at 
any rate, be they peculiar or be they otherwise, 
our plans are settled and our mode of action 
fixed, so we must e’en abide the issue.” 


•DISPOSITION OF OUR FORCES. 


341 


CHAPTER XX. 

A WAR-LIKE EXPEDITION AND A VICTORY. 

It was excessively dark that night when we 
set forth on our expedition. 

The scout, from whom we had already ascer- 
tained so much about the intended movements 
of the enemy, also told us that they meant to set 
out at a little before midnight and ntarch on the 
village by a certain route. Indeed, it was very 
unlikely that they would approach by any other, 
as the jungle elsewhere was so thick as to ren- 
der marching, especially at night, very difficult. 

Jack therefore resolved to place the greater 
proportion of his troops in ambush at the mouth 
of a small gully or dell a few miles from the 
enemy’s camp, where they were almost certain 
to pass. But, with a degree of caution that I 
thought highly creditable in so young and inex- 
perienced a general, he sent out a considerable 
number of the most trustworthy men in advance, 
with instructions to proceed with the stealth of 
leopards, and to bring back instant information 
of any change of route on the part of the foe. 

The troops placed in ambush at the dell above 

29 * 


842 DISPOSITION OF OUR FORCES.. 

referred to were Peterkin’s hundred musketeers, 
supported by Jack’s spear and bow-men. I was 
ordered to advance by a circuitous route on the 
camp itself with my fifty musketeers, followed 
by my small company of spear-men. My in- 
structions were, to conceal my men as near to 
the camp as possible, and there await the first 
discharge of fire-arms from the dell, when I was 
to rise ; advance upon the camp ; utter a terrific 
shout when within fifty yards ; rush forward to 
within twenty-five yards ; halt ; pour in one with- 
ering volley of blank cartridge, and charge without 
giving my men time to load. 

Of course I could not speak to my men ; but 
this was a matter of little consequence, as they 
were now well acquainted with our three words 
of command, “ Forward,” “ Halt,” and “ Fire ; ” 
and fully understood that they must under all 
circumstances follow their leader. I knew well 
enough that there must be no little danger in 
this arrangement, because the leader would 
necessarily be always in front of the muzzles of 
the loaded guns. But there was no help for it, 
so I resolved to act upon my usual principle, 
namely, that, when a thing is inevitable, the best 
thing to do is to treat it as being unavoidable. 

Having conducted my men Stealthily and suc- 
cessfully to the vicinity of the enemy’s camp, 
though with some difficulty, owing to the almost 
impenetrable nature of the jungle through which 


THE ENEMY’S CAMP. 


343 


we had to pass in making the detour necessary 
to avoid falling in with the attacking force, 
we proceeded to advance to within as short 
a distance of it as possible without running 
the risk of being discovered. This was not 
difficult, for the men left to guard the camp, 
supposing, no doubt, that their presence in that 
part of the country was not suspected, had 
taken no precautions in the way of placing sen- 
tries, so we quickly arrived at the foot of a 
small mound about sixty yards or so from the 
encampment. At the foot of this mound I 
caused my men to lie down, giving them to un- 
derstand, by signs, that they were on no account 
to move until I should return. Then I crept 
alone to the brow of the mound and obtained a 
clear view of the camp. 

The men who should have guarded it were, I 
found, busily employed in cooking their supper. 
There were, perhaps, upwards of a hundred of 
them. To my great satisfaction I observed the 
captives sitting near to the fire ; and, although 
at so considerable a distance from them, I felt 
certain that I recognized the figures of Mbango 
and Okandaga. Hastening back to my men, I 
endeavored to give them as much information as 
possible by means of signs, and then lay down be- 
side them to await the signal from Jack’s party. 

Although the attack of both our parties was 
to be simultaneous, the first shot was to be fired 


344 


THE MAIN BODY. 


by our troops in the dell, I will therefore describe 
their part of the engagement first. Jack de- 
scribed it to me minutely after it was over. 

On reaching the dell, Jack disposed his forces 
so as to command the only approach to it. The 
hundred musketeers he placed in a double row 
directly across the deepest and darkest part. 
The spearmen he divided into two bodies which 
he posted on the flanks of the musketeers among 
the bushes. He then showed the rear rank of 
the latter how to point their pieces over the 
shoulders of the men in the front rank at a 
given signal, but carefully reiterated the order 
not to touch a trigger until the word “ Fire ” 
should be given. 

“ Now, Peterkin,” said Jack, when these dis- 
positions had been made, “ it is time for you to 
get ready. Makarooroo and I can manage these 
fellows, so you have my permission to go and 
play your own independent part. Only let me 
warn you to remember your last exploit in this 
way, and see that^ou don’t do yourself a dam- 
age.” 

“ Thanks, noble general, for the permission,” 
answered Peterkin, u of which I shall avail my- 
self. In reference to your advice, I may remark 
that it is extremely valuable ; so much so, in- 
deed, that I would advise you not to part with it 
until asked for.” 

With that Peterkin ran into the jungle, and 
was soon lost to view. 


PETERKIN AGAIN A DEMON. 


345 


On gaining a sufficient distance from the men, 
he took off the greater part of his clothes, and 
wound round his person several pieces of light- 
colored cotton that he chanced to have with 
him, and some pieces of old newspaper. Then 
he decked his head with leaves and ragged 
branches, as he had done before in the haunted 
cave, making himself, in short, as wild and fan- 
tastic a looking creature as possible; the only 
difference between his getting up on this and 
the former occasion being that he was white in- 
stead of black. For he wisely judged that a 
white demon must naturally appear infinitely 
more appalling and horrible to a negro than one 
of his own color. 

The two cones of moistened powder, however, 
which he had prepared for this occasion were 
very much larger than the former, and had been 
fitted into two wooden handles or cups for 
safety. With these in his hands, he crept to 
the top of a steep sloping mound or hill near the 
entrance to the dell, and considerably in advance 
of the troops. Here he sat down to await the 
approach of the enemy. 

There is something very eerie and awe-inspir- 
ing in a solitary night-watch, especially if it be 
kept in a wild, lonesome place. Peterkin after- 
wards told me that, while sitting that night on 
the top of the mound, looking out upon a plain, 
over which the enemy were expected to ap- 


346 PETERKIN AGAIN A DEMON. 

proach, on the one hand, and down into the dark 
dell where our troops were posted, on the other 
hand, his heart more than once misgave him ; and 
he could not help asking himself the questions, 
u What if our plans miscarry ? — what if our 
united volley and cheer and my demoniac dis- 
play should fail to intimidate the negroes ? ” 
Such questions he did not like to dwell upon, 
for he knew that in the event of failure a regu- 
lar pitched battle would be fought, and much 
blood would certainly flow. 

While indulging in such thoughts, he observed 
a dark form glide past the foot of the mound on 
which he lay, and vanish in the obscurity of the 
dell, which was so surrounded by crags and 
rocky places covered with underwood, that no 
light could penetrate into it. At first he was 
startled, and thought of giving the alarm to his 
comrades ; but on second thoughts he concluded 
the person must have been one of his own scouts 
returned with news ; at all events, he felt that 
one man could do no harm worth speaking of, to 
so large a party. 

Presently he observed a large band of men 
coming over the plain toward the entrance of 
the dell. These, he felt assured, must be the 
enemy ; and he was right. They came on in a 
large, compact body, and were well armed ; yet, 
from the quick and unguarded manner of their 
approach, he could perceive that they suspected 
no ambush. 


APPROACH OF THE ENEMY. 


347 


They entered the dell in a confused, though 
solid and silent body ; and Peterkin could ob- 
serve, by the dim light, that they were led by one 
man, who walked in advance, whom he rightly 
judged to be the Portuguese slave-dealer. 

The time for action had now come. He ex- 
amined the points of his powder-cones, to ascer- 
tain that they were dry ; then held a match in 
readiness, and listened intently to the footsteps 
of the foe. 

I have already explained that Jack had drawn 
his musketeers across the dell, and placed the 
spearmen in the jungle on both flanks. They 
were arranged in such a way as to form three 
sides of a square, into which the unsuspecting 
enemy now marched. Jack allowed them to ap- 
proach to within thirty paces of his musketeers, 
and then gave, in a loud, deep, sonorous tone, 
the word — 

“Hip! hip! hip ! ” 

The compound cheer and yell that instantly 
followed the last hip was so tremendous, coming, 
as it did, from all sides except the rear, that the 
enemy were absolutely paralyzed. They stood 
rooted to the earth as motionless as if they had 
been transformed into stone. 

Jack raised his hand, in which he held a bunch 
of white grass that ^eould be distinctly seen in 
the dark. 

Every muzzle was pointed on the instant, but 


348 


THE AMBUSH. 


not a sound was heard save the click of a hun- 
dred locks. 

The sound was familiar to the enemy, al- 
though never before heard in such numbers. 
They started, but before a step could be taken, 
the word, “ Fire ! ” was given. 

Instantly a sheet of flame swept across the 
entire dell, and the united crash of a hundred 
guns seemed to rend the very earth. The sur- 
rounding cliffs reverberated and multiplied the 
horrid din, while, led by Jack, cheer followed 
cheer, or rather howls and yells filled the air and 
kept awake the echoes of the place. 

The enemy turned and fled, and the shrieks to 
which they gave utterance as they ran betokened 
the extremity of their terror. It wanted but one 
touch to complete their consternation, and that 
touch was given when Peterkiri, lighting his 
powder-cones, showed himself on the mound, 
dancing in a blaze of fire, and shrieking furiously 
as the horrified tide of men swept by. 

In the midst of his wild orgies, Peterkin acted 
an impromptu and unintentional part by tripping 
over the brow of the hill, and rolling down the 
steep declivity like a fire-wheel, into the very 
midst of the flying crew. Jumping hastily up, 
he charged through the ranks of the foe, flung 
the two hissing cones highjnto the air, and dart- 
ing into the jungle, hid himself effectually from 
view. 


PANIC-STRICKEN. 


349 


Meanwhile, Jack still held the bunch of white 
straw aloft. Every eye was fixed on it ; but not 
a man moved, because it remained stationary. 
This absence of pursuit in the midst of such ap- 
palling sights and sounds must, undoubtedly, 
have added to the mystery, and therefore to the 
terrors of the scene. 

Suddenly the white bunch was seen to dart 
forward. Jack, who now considered the enemy 
almost beyond the chance of being overtaken, 
gave the word, “ Forward ! ” in the voice of a 
Stentor, following it up with “ Hip, hip, hurrah ! ” 
and the whole host, musketeers and spearmen in 
a mingled mass, rushed yelling out upon the 
plain, and gave chase to the foe. 

“ Not so badly done,” said Jack, with a quiet 
laugh, as he laid his hand on Peterkin’s shoulder. 
u Why, Jack, how did you find me out ? ” 

“ Easily enough, when it is considered that I 
saw you go in. The flame of your wild-fire in- 
dicated your movements pretty plainly to me, al- 
though terror and amazement, no doubt, blinded 
the eyes of every one else. Even Mak’s teeth 
began to chatter when he saw you perform that 
singular descent of the hill ; and no wonder ! I 
hope no bones have been broken ? ” 

“ No, all right as far as that goes,” replied 
Peterkin, with a laugh ; “ but Pve lost a good 
deal of skin. However, it’ll grow again. I’m 


350 


PANIC-STRICKEN. 


glad it’s no worse. But I say, Jack, do you 
think our fellows won’t overtake these rascals ? ” 

44 No fear of that. I took care to give them a 
good start, and if there be any truth in the gen- 
erally received idea that terror lends wings, I’m 
pretty sure that each man in the enemy’s ranks 
must have obtained the loan of several pairs to- 
night. But have you heard the sound of Ralph’s 
guns ? ” 

44 No ; the din here was enough to drown any 
thing so distant.” 

44 Well, we must away to him as fast as we 
can. I expect that poor Mak is off before us.” 

44 But you’ll wait until I put on my clothes ? ” 
said Peterkin, hasting back toward the place 
where he had undressed. 

44 Certainly, lad ; only look alive.” 

Soon afterwards they left the place together. 

While this was going on at the dell, I, on 
hearing the first shot, gave the word “Forward!” 
in a low tone. My men instantly rose and fol- 
lowed me, and I could not, even at that anxious 
moment, help admiring the serpent-like facility 
with which they glided from bush to bush, with- 
out the slightest noise. We descended a hill, 
crossed a small brook, and approached to within 
thirty yards of the camp without being discov- 
ered. 

Suddenly I leaped on the top of a hillock, and 


THE CAMP ATTACKED. 


351 


shouted at the utmost pitch of my voice the sin- 
gle word “ Halt ! ” 

On hearing it, all the men in the camp sprang 
to their arms, and stood gazing round them with 
looks of consternation. 

My next word was, “ Fire ! ” 

A firm, tremendous crash burst from among 
the bushes, and my single person, enveloped in 
smoke and flame, was, I believe, the only object 
visible to those in the camp. 

“ Hip, hip, hip, hurrah ! forward ! ” I shouted, 
and, with a ferocious yell, we poured like a 
whirlwind upon the foe. 

The same result that had occurred at the dell 
took place here. The enemy never awaited our 
charge. They fled instantly, and so great was 
their terror that they actually threw down their 
arms, in order to facilitate their flight. 

On gaining the camp, however, I found, to 
my sorrow, that we had done the thing only too 
vigorously, for we had not only put the enemy 
to flight, but we had also frightened away those 
whom we had come to deliver ! 

At this point in the engagement I came to 
learn how incompetent I was to command men 
in cases of emergency, for here my presence of 
mind utterly forsook me. In my anxiety to cap- 
ture Mbango and his friends, I ordered an imme- 
diate pursuit. Then it occurred to me that, in 
the event of my men being successful in over- 


352 


MORE TROUBLES. 


taking the fugitives, they would instantly murder 
them all ; so I tried to call them back ; but, alas ! 
they did not understand my words, and they 
were by this time so excited as to be beyond all 
restraint. In a few minutes I found myself alone 
in the enemy’s camp, and heard the shouts of 
pursued and pursuers growing gradually fainter 
and more distant, as they scattered themselves 
through the jungle. 

Seating myself by the fire in a state of mind 
bordering on despair, I buried my face in my 
hands, and endeavored to collect myself, and 
consider what, under the circumstances, should 
be now done. 


MORE TROUBLES. 


353 


CHAPTER XXI. 

ARRANGEMENTS FOR PURSUING THE ENEMY, AND 
SUDDEN CHANGE OF PLANS. 

“ You seem to be taking it easy, old boy,” 
said a voice close to my elbow. 

I started, and looked up hastily. 

“ Ah ! Peterkin. You there ? ” 

“ Ay ; and may I not reply, with some sur- 
prise, you here ? ” 

“ Truly you may ; but what could I do ? The 
men ran away from me, whether I would or no ; 
and you are aware I could not make myself 
understood, not being able to — . But where is 
Jack?” 

I asked this abruptly, because it occurred to 
me at that moment that he and Peterkin should 
have been together. 

“ Where is Jack ? ” echoed Peterkin ; “ I may 
ask that of you, for I am ignorant on the point. 
He and I got separated in endeavoring to escape 
from the scrimmage caused by your valiant at- 
tack. You seem to have scattered the whole 
force to the winds. Oh, here he is, and Mak 
along with him.” 


30 * 


354 


MORE TROUBLES. 


Jack and our guide came running into camp 
at that moment. 

“ Well, Ralph, what of Okandaga ? ” 

“Ah! what of her indeed?” said Peterkin. 
“ I forgot her. You don’t mean to say she was 
not in the camp ? ” 

“ Indeed she was,” said. I ; “ and so was 
Mbango, and his wife Njamie, and one or two 
others whom I did not know ; but my men went 
at them with such ferocity that they fled along 
with our enemies.” 

“ Fled ! ” cried Jack. 

“ Ay ; and I fear much that it will fare ill with 
them if they are overtaken, for the men were 
wild with excitement and passion.” 

“ Come, this must be looked to,” cried Jack, 
seizing his rifle, and tightening his belt; “we 
must follow, for if they escape our hands they 
will certainly be retaken by their former cap- 
tors.” 

We followed our comrade, without further re- 
mark, in the direction of the fugitives ; but 
although we ran fast and long', we failed to 
come up with them. For two hours did we 
dash through bush and brake, jungle and morass, 
led by Makarooroo, and lighted by the pale 
beams of the moon. Then we came to a halt, 
and sat down to consult.” 

“Dem be gone,” said our wretched guide, 
whose cup of happiness was thus dashed from 


PLANS AND PROPOSALS. 


355 


his hand, just as he was about to raise it to his 
lips. 

“ Now don’t look so dismal, Mak,” cried 
Peterkin, slapping the man on the shoulder. 
“ You may depend upon it we will hunt her up 
somehow or other. Only let us keep stout 
hearts, and we can do any thing.” 

“ Very easily said, Master Peterkin,” observed 
Jack ; “ but what course do you propose we 
should follow just now ? ” 

“ Collect our scattered men ; go back to the 
village ; have a palaver with King Jambai and 
his chiefs ; get up a pursuit, and run the foxes to 
earth.” 

u And suppose,” said Jack, u that you don’t 
know in which direction they have fled, how 
can we pursue them ? ” 

“ It is very easy to suppose all manner of dif- 
ficulties,” retorted Peterkin. “ If you have a 
better plan out with it.” 

“ I have no better plan, but I have a slight 
addition to make to yours, which is, that, when 
we collect a few of our men, I shall send them 
out to every point of the compass, to make 
tracks like the spokes of a wheel, of which the 
village shall be the centre ; and by that means 
we shall be pretty certain to get information ere 
long as to the whereabouts of our fugitives. So 
now let us be up and doing. Time is precious 
to-night.” 


356 


WE RETURN VICTORIOUS. 


In accordance with this plan, we rapidly re- 
traced our steps to the dell, which had been ap- 
pointed as our place of rendezvous. Here we 
found the greater part of our men assembled ; 
and so well-timed had Jack’s movements been, 
that not one of them all had been able to over- 
take or slay a single enemy. Thus, by able gen- 
eralship, had Jack gained a complete and 
bloodless victory. 

Having detached and sent off our scouts, who, 
besides being picked men, travelled without any 
other encumbrance than their arms, we resumed 
our journey homeward, and reached the village 
not long after sunrise, to the immense surprise 
of Jambai, who could scarcely believe that we 
had routed the enemy so completely, and whose 
scepticism was still further increased by the 
total, and to him unaccountable, absence of pris- 
oners, or of any other trophies of our success in 
the fight. But Jack made a public speech, of 
such an elaborate, deeply mysterious, and totally 
incomprehensible character, that even Makaroo- 
roo, who translated, listened and spoke with the 
deepest reverence and wonder; and when he 
had concluded, there was evidently a firm im- 
pression on the minds of the natives that this 
victory was — by some means or in some way 
or other, quite inexplicable, but highly satisfac- 
tory — the greatest they had ever achieved. 

The king at once agreed to Jack’s proposal 


NEWS OF THE ENEMY. 


357 

that a grand pursuit should take place, to com- 
mence the instant news should be brought in by 
the scouts. But the news, when it did come, 
had the effect of totally altering our plans. 

The first scout who returned told us that he 
had fallen in with a large body of the enemy 
encamped on the margin of a small pond. 
Creeping like a snake through the grass, he suc- 
ceeded in getting near enough to overhear the 
conversation, from which he gathered two im- 
portant pieces of information ; namely, that they 
meant to return to their own ’ lands in a north- 
easterly direction ; and that their prisoners had 
escaped by means of a canoe which they found 
on the banks of the river that flowed past King 
Jambai’s village. 

The first piece of information decided the king 
to assemble his followers, and go off in pursuit 
of them at once ; the second piece of news de- 
termined us to obtain a canoe and follow 
Mbango and his companions to the sea-coast, 
whither, from all that we heard, we concluded 
they must certainly have gone. As this, how- 
ever, was a journey of many weeks, we had to 
take the matter into serious consideration. 

“ It is quite evident,” said Jack, as we sat 
over our supper on the night after receiving the 
above news, “ it is quite evident that they mean 
to go to the coast, for Mbango had often ex- 
pressed to Mak a wish to go there; and the 


358 


CHANGE OF PLANS. 


mere fact of their having been seen to escape 
and take down stream, is in itself pretty strong 
evidence that they did not mean to return to 
their now desolated village, seeing that the 
country behind them is swarming with enemies ; 
and of course they cannot know that we have 
conquered the main body of these rascals. I 
therefore propose that we should procure a canoe 
and follow them ; first, because we must at all 
hazards get hold of pQor Okandaga, and relieve 
the anxiety of our faithful guide Makarooroo ; 
and second, because it is just as well to go in 
that direction as in any other, in order to meet 
with wild animals and see the wonders of this 
land.” 

“ But what if King Jambai takes it into his 
black woolly head to decline to let us go ? ” said 
Peterkin. 

“ In that case we must take French leave of 
him.” 

“ In which case,” said I, in some alarm, “ all 
my specimens of natural history will be lost.” 

Jack received this remark with a shake of his 
head, and a look of great perplexity ; and Peter- 
kin said, “ Ah ! Ralph, I fear there’s no help for 
it. You must make up your mind to say 
good-by to your mummies — big puggies, and 
ah.” 

“But you do not know,” said I, energeti- 
cally, “that Jambai will detain us against our 
wih.” 


CHANGE OF PLANS. 


359 


u Certainly not,” replied Jack ; “ and for your 
sake I hope that he will not* At any rate I will 
go to see him about this point after supper. It’s 
of no use presenting a petition either to king, 
lord, or common, while his stomach is empty. 
But there is another thing that perplexes me, — 
that poor sick child, Njamie’s son, must not be 
left behind. The poor distracted mother has no 
doubt given him up for lost. It will be like get- 
ting him back from the grave.” 

“ True,” said I, “ we must take him with us. 
Yet I fear he is too ill to travel, and we cannot 
await his recovery.” 

“ He is not so ill as he seemed,” observed Pe- 
terkin. “ I went to see him only half an hour 
ago, and the little chap was quite hearty, and 
glad to see me. The fact is, he has been ill-used 
and ill-fed. The rest and good treatment he has 
received have, even in the short time he has been 
here, quite revived him.” 

“ Good,” said Jack ; “ then he shall go with 
us. I’ll engage to take him on my back when 
he knocks up on the march — for we have a 
march before us, as I shall presently explain — 
and when we get into a canoe, he will be able to 
rest.” 

“ But what march do you refer to ? ” I asked. 

“ Simply this. Mak, with whom I have had a 
good deal of conversation on the subject, tells me 
that the river makes a considerable bend below 


360 


CHANGE OF PLANS. 


this village, and that by taking a short cut of a 
day’s journey or so fcver land, we can save time, 
and will reach a small hamlet where canoes are 
to be had. The way, to be sure, is through a 
wild country ; but that to us is an advantage, as 
we shall be the more likely to meet with game. 
I find, also, that the king has determined to fol- 
low the same route with his warriors in pursuit 
of the enemy, so that thus far we may travel 
together. At the hamlet, he will diverge to the 
north-east, while we, if all goes well, embarking 
in our canoe, will proceed toward the west coast, 
where, if we do not overtake them on the way, 
we shall be certain to find them on our arrival. 
Okandaga has often longed to go to the mission 
station there, and as she knows it is in vain to 
urge Mbango to return to his destroyed vil- 
lage, she will doubtless advise him to go to the 
coast.” 

“ What you say seems highly probable,” said 
I ; “ and I think the best thing you can do, is to 
go to the king at once, and talk him over.” 

u Trust Jack for that,” added Peterkin, who 
was at that moment deeply engaged with what 
he called the drumstick of a roast monkey. 
“ Jack would talk over any creature with life, so 
persuasive is his eloquence. I say, Ralph,” he 
added, holding the half-picked drumstick at arm’s 
length, and regarding it with a critical gaze. “ I 
wonder, now, how the drumstick of an ostrich 


CHANGE OF PLANS. 


361 


would taste. Good, I have no doubt, though 
rather large for one man’s dinnner.” 

“ It would be almost equal to gorilla ham I 
should fancy,” said Jack, as he left the hut on 
his errand to the king. 

“ Oh you cannibal, to think of such a thing,” 
cried Peterk in, throwing the bone of his drum- 
stick after our retreating comrade. “ But ’tis 
always thus,” he added with a sigh ; “ man preys 
upon man, monkey upon monkey. Yet I had 
hoped better things of Jack. I had believed 
him to be at least a refined species of gorilla. I 
say, Ralph, what makes you look so lugubri- 
ous ? ” 

“ The difficulties, I suppose, that beset our 
path,” said I, sadly ; for, to say truth, I did not 
feel in a jesting humor just then. I was forced, 
however, in spite of myself, to laugh at the ex- 
pression of mingled disgust and surprise that 
overspread the mobile countenance of my friend 
on hearing my reply. 

“‘.The difficulties,”’ echoed he, <<<v that beset 
our path ! ’ Really, Ralph, life will become in- 
supportable to me, if you and Jack go on in this 
fashion. A man of nerve and sanguine tempera- 
ment might stand it, tjut to one like me, of a nat- 
urally timid and leaning nature, with the addi- 
tion of low spirits, it is really crushing — quite 
crushing.” 


31 


362 


JACK OVERCOMES THE KING. 


I laughed, and replied that he must just sub- 
mit to be crushed, as it was impossible for Jack 
and me to change our dispositions to suit his 
convenience ; whereupon he sighed, lighted his 
pipe, and began to smoke vehemently. 

In the course of little more than an hour Jack 
returned accompanied by Makarooroo, and from 
the satisfied expression of their faces, I judged 
that they had been successful. 

“ Ah ! I see — it’s all right,” said Peterkin, 
raising himself on one elbow as they entered the 
hut and seated themselves beside the fire. “ Old 
Jambai has been * talked over.’ ” 

“ Right ; but he needed a deal of talk ; he was 
horribly obstinate,” said Jack. 

“ Ho, yis ; ho ! ho ! horribubly obsterlate,” 
added Makarooroo, in corroboration, rubbing his 
hands and holding his nose slily over the bowl 
of Peterkin’ s pipe in order to enjoy, as it were, a 
second-hand whiff’.” 

“ Here, there’s a bit for yourself, old boy. Sit 
down and enjoy yourself while Jack tells us all 
about his interview with royalty,” said Peterkin, 
handing a lump of tobacco to our guide, whose 
eyes glistened and white teeth gleamed as he 
received the much prized gift. 

Jack now explained to us that he had found 
the king in a happy state of satiety, smoking in 
his very curious and uneasy-looking easy-chair; 
that he had at first begged and entreated him 


JACK OVERCOMES THE KING. 


363 


(Jack) to stay and take command of his warriors, 
and had followed up his entreaties with a hint 
that it was just possible he might adopt stronger 
measures if entreaty failed. 

To this Jack replied in a long speech, in which 
he pointed out the impossibility of our comply- 
ing with the king’s request under present circum- 
stances, and the absolute necessity of our return- 
ing at some period or other to our native land, 
to tell our people of the wonders we had seen in 
the great country of King Jambai. Observing 
that his arguments did not make much impres- 
sion on the king, he brought up his reserve force 
to the attack, and offered all the remainder of 
our goods, as a free gift, to his majesty — stipu- 
lating only that he (the king) should in consider- 
ation thereof, carefully send our boxes of speci- 
mens down to the coast, where the messengers, 
on arriving, should be handsomely paid if every 
thing should arrive safely and in good order. 

These liberal offers had a visible influence on 
the sable monarch, whose pipe indicated the 
state of his mind pretty clearly — thin wreaths 
wof smoke issuing therefrom when he did not 
sympathize with Jack’s reasoning, and thick vo- 
luminous clouds revolving about his woolly head, 
and involving him, as it were, in a veil of gauze, 
when he became pleasantly impressed. When 
Jack made mention of the valuable gifts above 
referred to, his head and shoulders were indis- 
tinctly visible amid the white cloudlets; and, 


364 


ONCE MORE ON THE MARCH. 


when he further offered to supply him with a few 
hundreds of the magical paper balls that had so 
effectually defeated his enemies the day before, 
the upper part of his person was obliterated alto- 
gether in smoke. 

This last offer of Jack’s we deemed a great 
stroke of politic wisdom, for thereby he secured 
that the pending war should be marked by the 
shedding of less blood than is usual in such cases. 
He endeavored further to secure this end by 
assuring the king that the balls would be use- 
less for the purpose for which they were made 
if any other substance should be put into the 
gun along with them ; and that they would only 
accomplish the great end of putting the enemy 
to flight if fired at them in one tremendous vol- 
ley at a time when the foe had no idea of the 
presence of an enemy. 

All things being thus amicably arranged, we 
retired to rest and slept soundly until daybreak, 
when we were awakened by the busy sounds of 
preparation in the village for the intended pur- 
suit. 

We, too, made active arrangements for a 
start, and soon after were trooping over the 
plains and through the jungle in the rear of King 
Jambai’s army, laden with such things as we 
required for our journey to the coast, and Jack, 
besides his proportion of our food, bedding, cook- 
ing utensils, &c., carrying Njamie’s little sick boy 
on his broad shoulders. 


JOURNEY TO THE COAST BEGUN. 


365 


CHAPTER XXII. 

WE MEET WITH A LUDICROUSLY AWFUL ADVENTURE. 

The day following that on which we set out 
from King Jambai’s village, as narrated in the 
last chapter, Jack, Peterkin, Makarooroo, Njamie’s 
little boy, and I, embarked in a small canoe, and 
bidding adieu to our hospitable friends, set out 
on our return journey to the coast. 

We determined to proceed thither by another 
branch of the river, which would take us through 
a, totally new, and, in some respects, different 
country from that in which we had already trav- 
elled, and which, in the course of a few weeks, 
would carry us again into the neighborhood of 
the gorilla country. 

One beautiful afternoon, about a week after 
parting from our friends, we met with an adven- 
ture, in which the serious and the comic were 
strangely mingled. Feeling somewhat fatigued 
after a long spell at our paddles, and being anx- 
ious to procure a monkey or a deer as we had 
run short of food, we put ashore, and made our 
encampment on the banks of the river. This 
done, we each sallied out in different directions, 
leaving Makarooroo in charge of the camp. 


366 


OUT HUNTING. 


For some time I wandered about the woods 
in quest of game, but, although I fired at many 
animals that were good for food, I missed them 
all, and was unwillingly compelled to return 
empty-handed. On my way back, and while 
yet several miles distant from the camp, I met 
Jack, who had several fat birds of the grouse 
species hanging to his girdle. 

“ I’m glad to see that you have been more suc- 
cessful than I, Jack,” said I, as we met. 

u Yet I have not much to boast of,” he replied. 
“ It is to be hoped that Peterkin has had better 
luck. Have you seen him ? ” 

u No ; I have not even heard him fire a shot.” 
“ Well, let us go on. Doubtless he will make 
his appearance in good time. What say you to 
following the course of this brook ? I have no 
doubt it will guide us to the vicinity of our camp, 
and the ground immediately to the left of it seems 
pretty clear of jungle.” 

“ Agreed,” ’said I; and for the next ten min- 
utes or so we walked beside each other in silence. 
Suddenly our footsteps were arrested by a low 
peculiar noise. 

u Hark ! is that a human voice ? ” whispered 
Jack, as he cocked his rifle. 
u It sounds like it,” said I. 

At the same moment we heard some branches 
in an opposite direction crack, as if they had 
been broken by a heavy tread. Immediately 


















EAVES-DROPPERS 






PETERKIN’S NEW FRIEND. 


367 


after, the first sound became louder and more 
distinct. Jack looked at me in surprise, and 
gradually a peculiar smile overspread his face. 

11 It’s Peterkin,” said I, in a low whisper. 

My companion nodded, and, half-cocking our 
pieces, we advanced with slow and cautious 
steps toward the spot whence the sound had 
come. The gurgling of the brook prevented us 
from hearing as well as usual, so it was not 
until we were close upon the bushes that fringed 
the banks of the streamlet, that we clearly dis- 
cerned the tones of Peterkin’s voice in conversa- 
tion with some one, who, however, seemed to 
make no reply to his remarks. At first I thought 
he must be talking to himself ; but in this I was 
mistaken. 

“ Let’s listen for a minute or two,” whispered 
my companion, with a broad grin. 

I nodded assent, and, advancing cautiously, 
we peeped over the bushes. The sight that met 
our eyes was so irresistibly comic that we could 
scarcely restrain our laughter. 

On a soft grassy spot, close to the warbling 
stream, lay our friend Peterkin, on his breast, 
resting on his elbows, and the forefinger of his 
right hand raised. Before him, not more than 
six inches from his nose, sat the most gigantic 
frog I evei 4 beheld, looking inordinately fat and 
intensely stupid. My memory instantly flew 
back to the scene on the coral island, where Jack 


368 


peterkin’s new friend. 


and I had caught our friend holding a quiet con- 
versation with the ojd cat, and I laughed inter- 
nally as I thought on the proverb, “ the boy is 
the father of the man.” 

“ Frog,” said Peterkin, in a low, earnest voice, 
at the same time shaking his finger slowly and 
fixing his eyes on the plethoric creature before 
him, “ Frog, you may believe it or not as you 
please, but I do solemnly assure you that I never 
did behold such a great, big, fat monster as you 
are in all — my — life! what do you mean by 
it?” 

As the frog made no reply to this question, 
but merely kept up an incessant puffing motion 
in its throat, Peterkin continued, — 

“ Now, frog, answer me this one question, — 
and mind that you don’t tell lies — you may not 
be aware of it, but you can’t plead ignorance, for 
I now tell you that it is exceedingly wicked to tell 
lies, whether you be a frog, or only a boy. Now, 
tell me, did you ever read 4 iEsop’s Fables ? ’ ” 

The frog continued to puff, but otherwise took 
no notice of its questioner. I could not help 
fancying that it was beginning to look sulky at 
being thus catechized. 

“ What, you won’t speak ! well, I’ll answer 
for you — you have not read 4 iEsop’s Fables ; ’ 
if you had you would not go on blowing your- 
self up in that way. I’m only a little man, it’s 
true, more’s the pity, but if you imagine that by 


peterkin’s new friend. 


369 


blowing and puffing like that, you can ever come 
to blow up as big as me, you’ll find yourself mis- 
taken. You can’t do it, so you needn’t try. 
You’ll only give yourself rheumatism. Now, 
will you stop ? If you won’t stop you’ll burst 

— there.’ , 

Peterkin paused here, and for some time con- 
continued to gaze intently in the face of his new 
friend. Presently he began again, — 

“ Frog, what are you thinking of? Do you 
ever think ? I don’t believe you do. Tightened 
up as you seem to be with wind, or fat, or con- 
ceit, if you were to attempt to think the effort 
would crack your skin, so you’d better not try. 
But, after all, you’ve some good points about 
you. If it were not that you would become 
vain I would tell you that you’ve got a very 
good pair of bright eyes, and a pretty mottled 
skin, and that you’re at least the size of a big 
chicken, — not a plucked, but a full fledged 
chicken. But, O frog, you’ve got a horribly ugly 
big mouth, and you’re too fat — a great deal too 
fat for elegance ; though I have no doubt it’s 
comfortable. Most fat people are comfortable 

— oh ! you would, would you ? ” 

This last exclamation was caused by the frog 
making a lazy leap to one side, tumbling heavily 
over on its back, and rolling clumsily on to its legs 
again, as if it wished to escape from its tormen- 
tor, but had scarcely vigor enough to make the 


370 


peterkin’s new friend. 


effort. Peterkin quietly lifted it up and placed 
it deliberately before him again in the same atti- 
tude as before. 

“ Don’t try that again, old boy,” said he, shak- 
ing his finger threateningly and frowning severely, 
u else I’ll be obliged to give you a poke in the 
nose. I wonder now, frog, if you ever had a 
mother, or if you only grew out of the earth like 
a plant. Tell me, were you ever dandled in a 
mother’s arms. Do you know any thing of ma- 
ternal affection, eh ? Humph ! I suspect not. 
You would not look so besottedly stupid if you 
did. I tell you what it is, old fellow, you’re un- 
commonly bad company, and I’ve a good mind 
to ram my knife through you, and carry you 
into camp to my friend Ralph Rover, who’ll skin 
and stuff you to such an extent that your own 
mother wouldn’t know you, and carry you to 
England, and place you in a museum under a 
glass case, to be gazed at by nurses, and stared 
at by children, and philosophized about by 
learned professors — hullo! none o’ that now. 
Come, poor beast, I didn’t mean to frighten you. 
There, sit still, and don’t oblige me to stick you 
up again, and I’ll not take you to Ralph.” 

The poor frog, which had made another at- 
tempt to escape, gazed vacantly at Peterkin 
again without moving, except in regard to the 
puffing before referred to. 

“ Now, frog, I’ll have to bid you good after- 


A SURPRISE. 


371 


noon. I*m sorry that time and circumstance 
necessitate our separation, but I’m glad that I 
have had the pleasure of meeting with you. 
Glad and sorry, frog, in the same breath ! Did 
you ever philosophize on that point ? eh ! Is it 
possible, think you, to be glad and sorry at one 
and the same moment. No doubt a creature 
like you, with such a very small intellect, if in- 
deed you have any at all, will say that it is not 
possible. But I know better. Why, what do 
you call hysterics ? Aint that laughing and cry- 
ing at once ? - - sorrow and joy mixed ? I don’t 
believe you understand a word that I say, you 
great puffing blockhead, what are you staring 
at?” 

The frog, as before, refused to make any reply, 
so our friend lay for some time chuckling and 
making faces at it. While thus engaged he 
happened to look up, and to our surprise as well 
as alarm, we observed that he suddenly turned 
as pale as death. 

To cock our rifles, and take a step forward, so 
as to obtain a view in the direction in which he 
was gazing with a fixed and horrified stare, was 
our immediate impulse. The object that met 
our eyes v on clearing the bushes, was indeed well 
calculated to strike terror into the stoutest heart, 
for there, not three yards distant from the spot 
on which our friend lay, and partially concealed 
by foliage, stood a large black rhinoceros. It 


372 


A SURPRISE. 


seemed to have just approached at that moment, 
and had been suddenly arrested, if not surprised, 
by .the vision of Peterkin and the frog. There 
was something inexpressibly horrible in the sight 
of the great block of a head, with its mischievous 
looking eyes, ungainly snout, and ponderous 
horn, in such close proximity to our friend. How 
it had got so near without its heavy tread being 
heard I cannot tell, unless it were that the noise 
of the turbulent brook had drowned the sound. 

But we had no time either for speculation or 
contemplation. Both Jack and I instantly took 
aim, he at his shoulder, as he afterwards told me, 
I at the monster’s eye, into which, with, I am 
bound to confess, my usual precipitancy, I dis- 
charged both barrels. 

The report seemed to have the effect of arous- 
ing Peterkin out of his state of fascination, for 
he sprang up and darted toward us. At the 
some instant the wounded rhinoceros crossed 
the spot which he had left with a terrific rush, 
and bursting through the bushes, as if it had 
been a great rock falling from a mountain cliff, 
went headlong into the rivulet. 

Without moving from the spot on which we 
stood, we re-charged our pieces with a degree of 
celerity that, I am persuaded, we never before 
equalled. Peterkin at the same time, caught up 
his rifle which leaned against a tree hard by, and 
only a few seconds elapsed after the fall of the 


A CONFLICT. 


373 


monster into the river, ere we were upon its banks 
ready for another shot. 

The portion of the bank of the stream at this 
spot happened to be rather steep, so that the rhi- 
noceros on regaining his feet, experienced con- 
siderable difficulty in the attempts to clamber 
out, which he made repeatedly and violently on 
seeing us emerge from among the bushes. 

“ Let us separate,” said Jack, u it will distract 
his attention.” 

“ Stay, you have blown out his eye, Ralph, I 
do believe,” said Peterkin. 

On drawing near to the struggling monster we 
observed that this was really the case. Blood 
streamed from the eye into which I had fired, and 
poured down his hideous jaws, dyeing the water 
in which he floundered. 

“ Look out,” cried Jack, springing to the right 
in order to get on the animal’s blind side as it 
succeeded in effecting a landing. 

. Peterkin instantly sprang in the same direction, 
while I bounded to the opposite side. I have 
never been able satisfactorily to decide in my own 
mind, whether this act on my part was performed 
in consequence of a sudden, almost involuntary 
idea, that by so doing, I should help to distract 
the creature’s attention, or was the result merely 
of an accidental impulse! But whatever the 
cause, the effect was most fortunate, for the 
rhinoceros at once turned towards me, and thus, 
32 


374 


A CONFLICT. 


being blind in the other eye, lost sight of Jack 
and Peterkin, who with the rapidity almost of 
thought leaped close up to its side, and took 
close aim at the most vulnerable parts of its 
body. As they were directly opposite to me, I 
felt that I ran some risk of receiving their fire. 
But before I had time either to reflect that they 
could not possibly miss so large an object at so 
short a distance, or to get out of the way, the re- 
port of both their heavy rifles rang through the 
forest, and the rhinoceros fell dead almost at mv 
feet. 

u Hurrah ! ” shouted Peterkin, throwing his cap 
into the air at this happy consummation, and sit- 
ting down on the haunch of our victim. 

“ Shame on you, Peterkin,” said I, as I re- 
loaded his rifle for him, “ shame on you to crow 
thus over a fallen foe.” 

“ Ha ! boy, it’s all very well for you to say that 
now, but you know well enough that you would 
rather have lost your ears, than have missed such • 
a chance as this. But, I say, it’ll puzzle you to 
stuff that fellow, won’t it ? ” 

“ No doubt of it,” answered Jack, as he drew 
a percussion cap from his pouch, and placed it 
carefully on the nipple of his rifle. “ Ralph will 
not find it easy ; and it’s a pity, too, not to take 
it home with us, for under a glass case, it would 
make such a pretty and appropriate pendant , in 
his museum, to that interesting frog with which 
you — .” 


A FROG’S FATE. 


J75 


u Oh, yon sneaking eaves-dropper ! ” cried Pe- 
terkin, laughing. “ It is really too bad that a fel- 
low can’t have a little tete-a-tete with a friend, 
but you and Ralph must be thrusting your im- 
pertinent noses in the way.” 

“ Not to mention the rhinoceros,” observed 
Jack. 

44 Ah ! to be sure — the rhinoceros — yes, I 
might have expected to find you in such low 
company, for 4 birds of a feather,’ you know, are 
said to 4 flock together ! ’ ” 

44 If there be any truth in that,” said I, 44 you 
are bound on the same ground to identify your- 
self with the frog.” 

44 By the way,” cried Peterkin, starting up and 
looking around the spot on which his interesting 
4 tete-a-tete ’ had taken place ; 44 where is the frog ? 
It was just here that — . Ah! — Oh! — Oh! 
poor, poor frog! 

* Your course is run, your days are o’er, 

We’ll never have a chat no more,’ 

as Shakspeare has it. Well, well, who would 
have thought that so conversable and intelligent 
a creature should have come to such a melan- 
choly end ? ” 

The poor frog had indeed come to a sad and 
sudden end, and I felt quite sorry for it, although 
I could not help smiling at my companion’s 
quaint manner of announcing the fact. 


376 NATURALISTIC THOUGHTS. 

Not being gifted with the activity of Peterkin, 
it had stood its ground when the rhinoceros 
charged, and had received an accidental kick 
from the great foot of that animal which had 
broken its back and killed it outright. 

“ There’s one comfort, however,” observed 
Jack, as we stood over the frog’s body, “you 
have been saved the disagreeable necessity of 
killing it yourself, Ralph.” 

This was true, and I was not sorry that the 
rhinoceros had done me this service, for, to say 
truth, I have ever felt the necessity of killing ani- 
mals in cold blood to be one of the few disagree- 
able points in the otherwise delightful life of a 
naturalist. To shoot animals in the heat and - 
excitement of the chase, I have never felt to be 
particularly repulsive or difficult ; but the spear- 
ing of an insect, or the deliberate killing of an 
unresisting frog, are duties which I have ever 
performed with a feeling of deep self-abhor- 
rence. 

Carefully packing my frog in leaves, and 
placing it in my pouch, I turned with my com- 
panions to quit the scene of our late encounter- 
and return to our camp, on arriving at which we 
purposed sending back Makarooroo to cut off 
the horn of the rhinoceros, for we agreed that, as 
it was impossible to carry away the entire car- 
cass, we ought at least to secure the horn as a 
memorial of our adventure. 


A REMARKABLE APE. 


377 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

WE SEE STRANGE THINGS, AND GIVE OUR NEGRO 
FRIENDS THE SLIP. 

During the two following days we passed 
through a country that was more thickly covered 
with the India-rubber vine than any place we 
had before met with in our African travels. I 
could not help feeling regret that such a splendid 
region should be almost, if not altogether, un- 
known and useless to civilized man. There 
seemed to be an unlimited supply of caoutchouc ; 
but the natives practised a 'method of gathering 
it which had the effect of destroying the vine. 

One day, some weeks after this, we came upon 
the habitation of a most remarkable species of 
monkey, named the Nshiego Mbouve, which we 
had often heard of, but had not up to that time 
been so fortunate as to see. Being exceedingly 
anxious to observe how this remarkable creature 
made use of his singular house, Peterkin and I 
lay down near the place, and secreting ourselves 
in the bushes, patiently awaited the arrival of the 
monkey, while Jack went off in another direction 
to procure something for supper. 

“ I don’t believe he’ll come home to-night,” 

32 * 


378 


PETERKIN IS PHILOSOPHICAL. 


said Peterkin, after we had lain down. “ People 
never do come in when any one chances to be 
waiting for them. The human race seems to be 
born to disappointment. Did you ever notice, 
Ralph, how obstinately contrary and cross- 
grained things go when you want them to go 
otherwise ? ” 

“ I don’t quite understand you,” said I. 

“ Of course you don’t. Yours se'ems to be a 
mind that can never take any thing in unless it 
is hammered in by repetition.” 

“ Come, now, Peterkin, don’t become, yourself, 
an illustration of your own remark in reference 
to cross-grained things.” 

“ Well, I won’t. But seriously, Ralph, have 
you not observed, in the course of your observant 
life, that, when you have particular business with 
a man, and go to his house or office, you are cer- 
tain to find him out — to use the common 
phrase. It would be more correct, however, to 
say 4 you are certain* not to find him in.’ ” 

“ You are uncommonly particular, Peterkin.” 

“ Truly I had need to be so, with such an un- 
commonly stupid audience.” 

u Thank you. Well ? ” 

“ Well, have you never observed that if you 
have occasion to call at a house where you have 
never been before, the number of that particular 
house is not in its usual place, and you find it 
after a search quite away from where it ought to 


THE NSHIEGO MBOUVE. 


379 


be? Has it never struck you that when you 
take out your umbrella, the day is certain to be- 
come hot and sunny, while if you omit to carry 
it with you, it is sure to rain ? ” 

“ From all of which you conclude,” said I, 
M that the Nshiego will not come home to-night? ” 

“ Exactly so. That is my meaning precisely.” 

After Peterkin said this, we relapsed into 
silence, and it was well that we did so, for, had 
we continued our conversation even in the whis- 
pering tones in which it had up to that time been 
conducted, we should have frightened away the 
ape which now came, as it were, to rebuke Peter- 
kin for his disbelief. 

Coming quickly forward, the Nshiego Mbouvd 
clambered quickly up the tree where its nest was 
built. This nest was not a structure into which 
it clambered, but a shelter or canopy, formed of 
boughs with their leaves somewhat in shape like 
an umbrella, under which it sat. The construc- 
tion of this shelter exhibited a good deal of intel- 
ligent ingenuity on the part of the ape, for it was 
tied to the tree by means of wild vines and 
creepers, and formed a neat comfortable roof, 
that was quite capable of shedding the night 
dews or heavy rains, and thus protecting its 
occupant. 

We were greatly amused by the manner in 
which the creature proceeded to make itself com- 
fortable. Just below the canopy was a small 


380 


A CURIOUS NEST. 


branch which jutted out horizontally from the 
stem of the tree. On this branch the ape seated 
itself, its feet and haunches resting thereon. 
Then it threw one arm round the tree, and hug- 
ging that lovingly to its side, gave what appeared 
to me to be a small sigh of satisfaction, and pre- 
pared to go to sleep. 

At this Peterkin chuckled audibly. The 
Nshiego’s eyes opened at once. I cocked my 
gun and took aim. The desire to procure a 
specimen was very strong within me, but an un- 
conquerable aversion to kill an animal in such 
cosy circumstances restrained me. The Nshiego 
got up in alarm. I pointed the gun, but could 
not fire. It began to descend. I pulled the trig- 
ger, and, I am happy to add, missed my aim 
altogether, to the intense delight of Peterkin, who 
filled the woods with laughter, while the Nshiego 
Mbouvd, dropping to the ground, ran shrieking 
from the spot. 

My forbearance at this time was afterwards 
repaid by my obtaining two much finer speci- 
mens of this shelter-building ape, both of which 
were killed by Peterkin. 

On quitting this place, we had a narrow es- 
cape, the recollection of which still fills me with 
horror. We were walking rapidly back toward 
our encampment, chatting as we went, when 
Peterkin suddenly put his foot on what appeared 
to be the dead branch of a tree. No sooner had 


A NARROW ESCAPE. 


381 


he done so, than the curling folds of a black 
snake fully ten feet long, scattered the dry leaves 
into the air, and caused us both to dart aside 
with a yell of terror. 

I have thought that in the complicated and 
wonderful mechanism of man, there lies a species 
of almost involuntary muscular power, which 
enables him to act in cases of sudden danger, 
with a degree of prompt celerity, that he could 
not possibly call forth by a direct act of volition. 
At all events, on the present emergency, without 
in the least degree knowing what I was about, I 
brought my gun from my shoulder into a hori- 
zontal position, and blew the snake’s head off 
almost in an instant. 

I have pondered this subject, and, from the 
fact that, while at one time a man may be 
prompt and courageous in case of sudden dan- 
ger, at another time the same man may become 
panic-stricken and helpless, I have come to the 
conclusion that the all-wise Creator would teach 
us — even the bravest among us — the lesson of 
our dependence upon each other, as well as our 
dependence upon Himself, and would have us 
know that while at one time we may prove a 
tower of strength and protection to our friends, 
at another time our friends may have to afford 
succor and protection to us. 

I have often wondered, in reference to this, 
that many men seem to take pride in bold inde- 


382 


A .NARROW ESCAPE. 


pendence, when it is an obvious fact that every 
man is dependent on his fellow, and that this 
mutual dependence is one of the chief sources of 
human happiness. 

The black snake which I had killed, turned 
out to be one of a very venomous kind, whose 
bite is said to be fatal, so that we had good 
cause to be thankful, and to congratulate our- 
selves on our escape. 

In this region of Africa we were particularly 
fortunate in what we saw and encountered, as 
the narrative of our experiences on the day fol- 
lowing the above incidents will show. 

We had scarcely advanced a few miles on our 
journey on the morning of that day, when we 
came upon a part of the country where the na- 
tives had constructed a curious sort of trap for 
catching wild animals ; and it happened that a 
large band of natives were on the point of setting 
out for a grand hunt at that time. 

We were greeted with immense delight on our 
arrival, for those natives, we soon discovered, had 
already heard of our exploits in the lands of the 
gorilla, and regarded us as the greatest hunters 
that had ever been born. After a short conver- 
sation with the chief, through the medium of 
Makarooroo, we arranged to rest there a day and 
accompany them on their hunting expedition, 
and, the better to secure their good-will, we pre- 
sented some of the head men with a few of the 


A STRANGE HUNT. 


383 


beads which we still possessed. Then, hauling 
our canoe out of the water, we prepared ourselves 
for the chase. 

After a long and tedious march through some- 
what dense jungle, we came upon the ground, 
which was partly open, partly clothed with trees 
and shrubs. Here the natives, who numbered 
several hundreds, spread themselves out in a long 
semicircular line in order to drive the game into 
the trap. 

As we followed them, or rather formed part of 
the line, I overheard the following conversation 
between Peterkin and Makarooroo, who chanced 
to be together. 

“ Now, Mak,” said the former, examining the 
caps of his rifle, “ explain to me what sort of trap 
this is that we’re coming to, and what sort of 
brutes we may expect to find in it.” 

u He trap, massa,” replied our faithful follower, 
drawing the back of his hand across his mouth, 
“ de trap am be call hopo ” 

“ Called what-o ? ” inquired Peterkin. 

“ Hopo .” 

“ Oh ! go on.” 

“ An’ hims be made ob great number ob sticks 
tumble down — an’ hole at de end ob dat, an’ 
de beasties dat goes in be zebros, elosphants, 
eelands, bufflos, gaffs, nocrices, noos, an’ great 
more noders ob which me forgit de names.” 

“ Oh ! you forgit de names, do you ? ” 


384 


A CURIOUS TRAP. 


u Yis, massa.” 

u Ah ! it wouldn’t be a great loss, Mak, if you 
were to forget the names of those you remember.” 

The conversation was interrupted at this 
point by the appearance of a buffalo which 
showed that we were drawing near to the scene 
of action. But as Makarooroo’s description is 
not remarkable for lucidity, I may explain here 
that the hopo, or trap, consists of two parts ; one 
part may be termed the conducting hedges, the 
other the pit at their termination, and into which 
the game is driven. The conducting hedges are 
formed in the shape of the letter V. At the 
narrow extremity there is a narrow lane, at the 
end of which is the terminating pit. This pit is 
about eight feet deep and fifteen broad, and its 
edges are made to overlap in such a way, that 
once the animals are in it, they have no chance 
whatever of getting out again. The surface of 
the pit is concealed by a thin crust of green 
rushes, and the hedges are sometimes a mile 
long, and nearly the same width apart at the 
outer extremities. 

We were still at a considerable distance from 
the outer ends of the hedges, when the natives 
spread out as above described, and I am con- 
vinced that our line extended over at least four 
miles of ground. The circle of course narrowed 
as they advanced, shouting wildly in order to 
drive the game into the enclosure. 


A CURIOUS TRAP. 


385 


That the country was teeming with game 
soon became apparent, for - ever and anon as we 
advanced, a herd of gnus, or buffaloes, or harte- 
beests would dart affrighted from their cover, and 
sweep over the open ground into another place 
of shelter, out of which they were again driven 
as the line advanced. In the course of half an 
hour we drove out harte-beests, zebras, gnus, 
buffaloes, giraffes, rhinoceroses, and many other 
kinds of smaller game, either singly or in herds. 

“ Now, lads,” said Jack, approaching Peterkin 
and me as we walked together, “ it is quite evi- 
dent that if we wish to see this sport in perfec- 
tion we must get outside the hedge, and run 
along towards the pit, for there, in the natural 
course of things, we may expect the grand 
climax. What say you ; shall we go ? ” 

“ Agreed,” said I. 

“ Ditto,” cried Peterkin. 

Bo without more words we turned aside, fol- 
lowed by Makarooroo, leaped the hedge, and, 
running down along it, soon reached the edge of 
the pit. 

Here we found a number of the natives as- 
sembled with spears, looking eagerly through the 
interstices of the hedges in expectation of the 
advancing herds. We took up our stand on a 
convenient spot, and prepared to wait patiently. 
But our patience was not severely tried. We 
had not been more than five minutes stationed 

33 


386 


A WILD SCENE. 


when the noise of the closing line was heard, 
and a herd of buffaloes dashed wildly out from 
a small piece of jungle in which they had 
sought shelter, and galloped over the plain 
toward us. Suddenly they halted, and stood 
for a moment snuffing the air, as if uncertain 
what to do, while we could see even at that dis- 
tance that every muscle of their bodies trembled 
with mingled rage and terror. Before they 
could decide, a herd of gnus burst from the 
same place, and presently a dozen zebras gal- 
loped out tossing up their heels and heads in 
magnificent indignation. These last scattered 
and approached the hedges, which caused sev- 
eral natives to dart into the enclosure, who from 
beneath the shelter of oval shields as large as 
themselves, threw their spears with unerring cer- 
tainty into the sides of the terrified creatures. 

At this moment there was a general rush 
from the scattered groups of trees and clumps 
of jungle, for the animals were now maddened 
with terror, not only at the shouts of their 
human persecutors, but at their own wild cries, 
and the increasing thunder of their tread. 

The shouting and tumult now became exces- 
sive. It was almost bewildering. I looked 
round upon the faces of the negroes nearest to 
me. They seemed to be almost insane with 
suppressed excitement, and their dark faces 
worked in a manner that was quite awful to 
witness. 


A WILD SCENE. 


387 


Presently there was a general and indiscrimi- 
nate rush of all kinds of wild animals toward 
the narrow end of the hopo. The natives 
pressed in upon them with wild cries. Spears 
flew in all directions. Ere long the plain was 
covered with wounded animals struggling and 
bellowing in their death agonies. -As the rush- 
ing multitude drew nearer to the fatal pit, they 
became crowded together, and now the men 
near us began to play their part. 

“ Look out, Jack ! ” I cried, as a buffalo bull 
with glaring eyes and foaming jaws made a des- 
perate effort to leap over the barrier in our very 
faces. 

Jack raised his rifle and fired ; at the same 
instant a spear was sent into the buffalo’s 
breast, and it fell back to form a stumbling- 
block in the way of the rushing mass. 

The report of the rifle caused the whole herd 
to swerve from our side so violently, that they 
bore down the other side, until I began to fear 
the hedge would give way altogether ; but they 
were met by the spears and the furious yells of 
the natives there, and again swept on toward 
the narrow lane. 

And now the head of the bellowing mass came 
to the edge of the pit. Those in front seemed 
to suspect danger, for they halted suddenly ; but 
the rush of those behind forced them on. In 
another moment the thin covering gave way, and 


388 


BLOODY WORK. 


a literal cataract of huge living creatures went 
surging down into the abyss. 

The scene tfiat followed was terrible to wit- 
ness ; and I could not regard it with other than 
feelings of intense horror, despite my knowledge 
of the fact that a large tribe of natives depended 
on the game then slain for their necessary food. 
The maddened animals attempted to leap out of 
the pit, but the overlapping edges already re- 
ferred to effectually prevented this until the fall- 
ing torrent filled it up, then some of them suc- 
ceeded in leaping out from off the backs of their 
smothered comrades. These, however, were 
quickly met and speared by the natives, while 
ever and anon the great mass was upheaved by 
the frantic struggles of some gigantic creature 
that was being smothered at the bottom. 

While this scene of wholesale destruction was 
going on, Makarooroo came up to me and begged 
me, with mysterious looks, to follow him out of 
the crowd. 

I obeyed, and when we had got away from the 
immediate neighborhood of the turmoil, I said, — 

“ Well, Mak, what’s wrong? ” 

“ De chief, massa, hims tell me ’few moments 
ago dat canoe wid Mbango and oomans hab 
pass dis way to-worrow.” 

u To-morrow ! ” I exclaimed. 

“ No, me forgit, hab pass yistumday.” 

“ Indeed ! ” 

“ Yis, an’ de chief hims say hims want us to 


WE FLY. 


389 


stop wid him and go hunt for week or two 
Praps he no let us go way.” 

“ That’s just possible, Mak. Have you told 
Jack?” 

“ No, massa.” 

“ Then go, bring him and Peterkin hither at once.” 

In a few minutes my companions were with 
me, and we held a brief earnest consultation as 
to what we should do. 

“ I think we should tell the chief we are anx- 
ious to be off at once, and leave him on good 
terms,” said I. 

Peterkin objected to this. “ No,” said he, 
“ we cannot easily explain why we are anxious 
to be off so hastily. I counsel flight. They 
won’t find out that we are gone until it is too 
late to follow.” 

Jack agreed with this view, so of course I gave 
in, though I could not in my heart approve of 
such a method of sneaking away. But our 
guide seemed also to be exceedingly anxious to 
be off, so we decided, and, slipping quietly away 
under the shelter of the hedge, while the natives 
were still busy with their bloody work, we soon 
gained the forest. Here we had no difficulty in 
retracing our sieps to the village, where, having 
picked up our little companion, Njamie’s son, 
who had been left to play with the little boys of 
the place, we embarked, swept down the stream, 
and were soon far beyond the chance of pursuit. 

33* 


390 


THE PURSUIT. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

A LONG CHASE, AND A HAPPY TERMINATION. 

Knowing that unless we advanced with more 
than ordinary speed we could not hope to over- 
take our friends for several days — a stern chase 
being proverbially a long one — we travelled a 
great part of the night as well as all day ; and, 
on our third day after quitting the scene of the 
curious hunt described in the last chapter, we 
descried the fugitives descending the river about 
a quarter of a mile ahead of us. 

Unhappily we made a stupid mistake at this 
time. Instead of waiting until we were near 
enough to be recognized, we shouted to our 
friends the moment we saw their canoe. I can- 
not say that we knew them to be our friends, 
but we had every reason to suppose so. The 
result of our shout was, that they supposed us to 
be enemies, and paddled away as if for their lives. 
It was in vain that we tried to show by signs 
that we were not enemies. 

“ Yell ! ” cried Peterkin, turning to Makaroo- 
roo, who sat close behind him. 

Our guide opened his huge mouth and gave 
utterance to a yell that might well have struck 
terror into the heart of Mars himself. 

“ Stop! stay! ” cried Peterkin, hastily ; “ I didn’t 
mean a war-yell, I meant a yell of — of peace ” 


THE PURSUIT. 


391 


u Me no hab a yell ob peace,” said Makaroo- 
roo, with a look of perplexity. 

“ I should not suppose you had,” observed 
Jack, with a quiet laugh, as he dipped his paddle 
more energetically than ever into the stream ; “ the 
fact is, Peterkin, that we shall have to go in for 
a long chase. There is no doubt about it. I 
see that there are at least four men in their canoe, 
and if one of them is Mbango, as we have reason 
to believe, a stout and expert arm guides them. 
But ho ! give way ! ‘ never venture, never win.’ ” 

With that, we all plied our paddles with our 
utmost might. The chase soon became very ex- 
citing. Ere long it became evident that the 
crews of the two canoes were pretty equally 
matched, for we did not, apparently, diminish 
the distance between us by a single inch during 
the next half hour. 

“ What if it turns out not to be Mbango and 
his party, after all ? ” suggested Peterkin, who 
wielded his light paddle with admirable effect. 

Jack, who sat in the bow, replied that in that 
case we should have to make the best apology 
and explanation we could to the niggers, and con- 
sole ourselves with the consciousnesss of having 
done our best. 

For some time the rapid dip of our paddles 
and the rush of our canoe through the water 
were the only sounds that were heard. Then 
Peterkin spoke again. He could never keep si- 
lence for any great length of time. 


392 


THE PURSUIT. 


u I say, Jack, we’ll never do it. If we had only 
another man, or even a boy.” (Peterkin glanced 
at Njamie’s little son, who lay sound asleep at 
the bottom of the boat.) “ No, he wont do. We 
might as well ask a musquitoe to help us.” 

u I say, lads, isn’t one of the crew of that canoe 
a woman ? ” said Jack, looking over his shoulder, 
but not ceasing for an instant to ply his paddle. 

“ Can’t tell,” answered Peterkin ; “ what say 
you, Mak ? ” 

“ Ye-is, massa,” replied the guide with some 
hesitation. “ Me tink dat am be one ooman’s 
arm what wag de paddil. Oh ! yis, me sartin 
sure now. Dat am a ooman.” 

“ That being the case,” observed Jack, in a 
tone of satisfaction, “ the chase won’t last much 
longer, for a woman’s muscles can’t hold out 
long at such a pace. Ho ! give way once more.” 

In less than five minutes, the truth of Jack’s 
remark became apparent, for we began rapidly 
to overhaul the fugitives. This result acted with 
a double effect; while *it inspirited us to addi- 
tional exertion, it depressed those whom we were 
pursuing, and so rendered them less capable than 
before of contending with us. There was evi- 
dently a good deal of excitement and gesticula- 
tion among them. Suddenly the man in the 
stern laid down his paddle, and stooping down 
seized a gun, with which, turning round, he took 
deliberate aim at us. 

“ That’s rather awkward,” observed Jack, in a 


A CRITICAL MOMENT. 


393 


cool, quiet way, as if the awkwardness of the 
case had no reference whatever to him personally. 

We did not, however, check our advance. The 
man fired, and the ball came skipping over the wa- 
ter, and passed us at a distance of about two yards. 

“ Hum ! I expected as much,” observed Jack ; 
“ when a bad shot points a bad gun at you, your 
best plan is to stand still and take your chance. 
In such a case the chance is not a bad one. 
Hallo ! the rascal seems about to try it again. I 
say, boys, we must stop this.” 

We had now gained so much on the fugitives 
that we had reason to hope that we might* by 
signs enable them to understand that we were not 
enemies. We had to make the attempt rather 
abruptly, for, as Jack uttered his last remark, the 
man in the stern of the canoe we were chasing, 
having reloaded his gun, turned round to aim at 
us again. At the same time the rest of the 
crew suddenly ceased to paddle in order to ena- 
ble their comrade to take a steady aim. It was 
evident that they rested all their hopes upon that 
shot disabling one of our number, and so ena- 
bling them to escape. Seeing this, Makarooroo 
in desperation seized his rifle and levelled it. 

“ No, no,” said Peterkin, hastily holding up 
his hand ; give me your rifle, Mak ; and yours, 
Ralph ; — now then, stop paddling for a moment ; 
I’ll try an experiment.” 

So saying, he sprang to his feet, and grasping 
a rifle in each hand, held them high above his head, 


394 


PUGGY. 


intending thus to show that we were well armed, 
but that we did not intend to use our weapons. 

The device was happily successful ; the man 
in the other canoe lowered the gun with which 
he was in the act of taking aim at us. 

u Now, boys, paddle slowly towards the bank,” 
cried Peterkin, laying down the rides quickly and 
standing erect again with his empty hands ex- 
tended in tke air, to confirm the fugitives in re- 
gard to our good intentions. They understood 
the sign, and also turned toward the bank, where 
in a few minutes both parties landed, at the dis- 
tance of about two hundred yards from each other. 

“ Mak, you had better advance alone,” said 
Jack ; “ if it is Mbango and his friends, they will 
know you at once. Don’t carry your ride. You 
won’t need it.” 

u Nay, Jack,” I interposed, u you do not act 
with your usual caution. Should it chance not 
to be Mbango, it were well that Mak should 
have his ride and a companion to support him.” 

“ O most sapient Ralph,” said Peterkin, “ don’t 
you know that Jack and I have nothing to do 
but sit down on this bank, each with a double- 
barrel in his hand, and if any thing like foul play 
should be attempted, four of the enemy should 
infallibly bite the dust at the same time ? But 
you’d better go with Mak, since you’re so care- 
ful of him. We will engage to defend you both. 
Hallo, Puggy! take the line of our canoe here 
and fasten it to yonder bush.” 


OPINIONS ON RUBBING NOSES. 


395 


The latter part of this remark was addressed 
to Njamie’s little boy, whose name we had never 
learned, and who had been called Puggy by Peter- 
kin — not, let me remark, in any thing approach- 
ing to a contemptuous spirit. He evidently 
meant it as a title of endearment. We had tac- 
itly accepted it, and so had the lad, who for some 
time past had answered to the name of Puggy, in 
utter ignorance, of course, as to its signification. 

Mak and I now advanced unarmed towards 
the negroes, and in a few seconds we mutually 
recognized each other. I was oveijoyed to ob- 
serve the well-known face of Okandaga, who no 
sooner recognized her lover than she uttered a 
joyful shout and ran toward him. I at the 
same time advanced to Mbango, and grasping 
his hand shook it warmly ; but that good-hearted 
chief was not satisfied with such a tame expres- 
sion of good-will. Seizing me by the shoulders, 
he put forward his great flat nose and rubbed 
mine heartily therewith. My first impulse was 
to draw back, but fortunately my better judg- 
ment came to my aid in time, and prevented me 
from running the risk of hurting the feelings of 
our black friend. And I had at that time lived 
long enough to know that there is nothing that 
sinks so bitterly into the human heart as the repulse, 
however slightly, of a voluntary demonstration of 
affection. I had made up my mind that if the 
dirtiest negro in all Africa should offer to rub 
noses with me, I would shut my eyes and submit. 


396 


A NEW SURPRISE. 


I observed among the crew of Mbango’s canoe 
a female figure, who instantly attracted my atten- 
tion and awakened my sympathy. She was 
seated on a rock, paying no attention whatever 
to the events that were occurring so near to her, 
and which, for aught she could tell, might be to 
her matter of life or death. He hands hung idly 
by her side ; her body was bowed forward ; her 
head drooped on her breast ; and her whole ap- 
pearance indicated a depth of woe such as I have 
never before seen equalled. 

I pointed to her and looked at Mbango in sur- 
prise. He looked first at the woman and then 
at me, and shook his head mournfully, but being 
unable to speak to me, or I to him, of course I 
could not gather much from his looks. 

I was about to turn to our guide, when 
the woman raised her head a little, so that her 
face was exposed. I at once recognized the fea- 
tures of Njamie, Mbango’s favorite wife, and I 
was now at no loss to divine the cause of her 
grief. 

Starting up in haste I ran away back at full 
speed toward the spot where our canoe lay. 
Jack and Peterkin, seeing how matters stood, 
were by that time advancing to meet us, and the 
little boy followed. I passed them without utter- 
ing a word ; seized the boy by the wrist and 
dragged him somewhat violently toward the 
place where his mother sat. 

“ Hallo, Ralph ! ” shouted Peterkin as I passed 


HAPPY MEETING. 


397 


“ see that you don’t damage my Puggy, else 
you’ll have to — ” 

I heard no more. The next instant I stood 
beside Njamie and placed her boy before her. I 
have never in my life witnessed such a mingling 
of intense eagerness, surprise, and joy, as was 
expressed by the poor woman when her eyes fell 
on the face of her child. For one moment she 
gazed at him, and the expressions I have referred 
to flitted, or rather flashed across her dusky 
countenance ; then, giving utterance to a pierc- 
ing shriek, she sprang forward and clasped her 
son to her bosom. 

I would not have missed that sight for the 
world. I know not very well what my thoughts 
were at the time, but the memory of that scene 
has often since, in my musings, filled me with 
inexpressible gladness ; and in pondering the 
subject, I have felt that the witnessing of that 
meeting has given additional force to the line in 
Scripture wherein the word “ love ” alone is 
deemed sufficiently comprehensive to describe 
the whole character of the Almighty. 

Here, on the one hand, I beheld unutterable, 
indescribable woe ; on the other hand, unuttera- 
ble, inconceivable joy ; both, I should suppose, 
in their extremest degree, and both resulting from 
pure and simple love . I pondered this much at 
the time. I have pondered it often since. It is 
a subject of study which I recommend to all 

who chance to read this page. 

34 


398 


CONSULTATIONS. 


CHAPTER XXV. 

I HAVE A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER AND A NARROW 
ESCAPE. 

The happiness that now beamed in the faces 
of Makarooroo, Okandaga, and Njamie, was a 
sufficient reward to us for all the trouble we had 
taken, and all the risk we had run on their ac- 
count. Poor Njamie was exceedingly grateful 
to us. She sought by every means in her power 
to show this, and among other things, hearing us 
call her son by the name of Puggy, she at once 
adopted it, to the immense amusement and de- 
light of Peterkin. 

After the first excitement of our meeting had 
subsided somewhat, we consulted together as to 
what we should now do. On the one hand, we 
were unwilling to quit the scene of our hunting 
triumphs and adventures ; on the other hand, 
Makarooroo and his bride were anxious to reach 
the mission stations on the coast and get married 
in a Christian manner. 

“ Our opposing interests are indeed a little 
perplexing,” said Jack, after some conversation 
had passed on the subject. “ No doubt, Mak, 
you and Mbango with his friends might reach 


DIFFICULTIES. 


399 


the coast safely enough without us ; but then 
what should we do without an interpreter ? ” 

Our poor guide, whose troubles seemed as 
though they would never end, sighed deeply and 
glanced at his bride with a melancholy counte- 
nance as he replied, — 

“ Me’ll go wid you, massa, an’ Okandaga ’ll 
go to cost an’ wait dere, for me come.” 

w Ha ! ” ejaculated Peterkin, u that’s all very 
well, Mak, but you’ll do nothing of the sort. 
That plan won’t do, so we’ll have to try again.” 

“ I agree with you, Peterkin,” observed Jack, 
11 that plan certainly will not do ; but I cannot 
think of any other that will, so we must just ex- 
ercise a little self-denial for once, give up all 
further attacks on the wild beasts of Africa, and 
accompany Mak to the coast.” 

“ Could we . not manage a compromise ? ” 
said I. 

“ What be a cumprumoise ? ” asked Makaroo- 
roo, who had been glancing anxiously from one 
to the other as we conversed. 

Peterkin laid hold of his chin, pursed up his 
mouth, and looked at me with a gleeful leer. 

“ There’s a chance for you, Ralph,” said he ; 
u why don’t you explain ? ” 

“ Because it’s not easy to explain,” said I, con- 
sidering the best way in which to convey the 
meaning of such a word — “A compromise, 
Mak, is — is, a bargain, a compact, — at least so 
Johnson puts it — .” 


400 


DIFFICULTIES. 


“ Yes,” interposed Peterkin ; “ so you see, 
Mak, when you agree with a trader to get him 
an elephant tusk, that’s a cumprumoise, accord- 
ing to Johnson.” 

“ No, no, Mak,” said I quickly, “ Peterkin is 
talking nonsense. It is not a bargain of that 
kind — it’s a — a — . You know every question 
has two sides ? ” 

“ Yis, massa.” 

“ Well, suppose you took one side.” 

“ Yis.” 

“ And suppose I took the other side.” 

“ Yis.” 

u Then suppose we were to agree to forsake 
our respective sides and meet, as it were, half 
way, and thus hold the same middle course — ” 

“ Ay, down the middle and up again ; that’s 
it, Mak,” again interrupted Peterkin, “that’s a 
cumprumoise. In short, to put it in another 
and a clearer light, suppose that I were to re- 
solve to hit you an awful whack on one side of 
your head, ^nd suppose that Ralph were to de- 
termine to hit you a frightful bang on the other 
side ; then suppose that we were to agree to give 
up these amiable intentions, and instead thereof 
to give you, unitedly, one tremendous smash on 
the place where, if you had one, the bridge of 
your nose would be — that would be a cumpru- 
moise.” 

“ Ho ! ha ! ha! hi ! ” shouted our guide, rolling 


DIFFICULTIES. 


401 


over on the grass and splitting himself with 
laughter ; for Makarooroo, like the most of his 
race, was excessively fond of a joke, no matter 
how bad, and was always ready, on the shortest 
notice, to go off into fits of laughter, if he had 
only the remotest idea of what the jest meant. 
He had become so accustomed at last to expect 
something jocular from Peterkin, that he almost 
invariably opened his mouth to be ready, when- 
ever he observed our friend make any demon- 
stration that gave indication of his being about 
to speak. 

From the mere force of sympathy, Mbango , 
began to laugh also, and I know not how long 
the two would have gone on had not Jack 
checked them by saying, — 

“ I suspect we are not very well fitted to in- 
struct the unenlightened mind ” (“ Ho — hi ! ” 
sighed Makarooroo, gathering himself up and 
settling down to listen) ; “ and it seems to me 
that you’ll have to try again, Peterkin, some 
other mode of explanation.” 

“ Very good, by all means,” said our friend. 

“ Now, Mak, look here. You want to go there ” 
(pointing to the coast with his left hand) ; “ and 
we want to go there ” (pointing to the interior 
with his right hand). “ Now if we both agree to 
go there ” (pointing straight before him with his 
nose), “ that will be a cumprumoise. D’ye un- 
derstand ? ” 


34 * 


402 


NEW PLANS. 


“ Ho yis, massa, me compiperhend now.” 

“ Exactly so,” said I, “ that’s just it. There is 
a branch of this river that takes a great bend 
away to the north before it turns toward the sea ; 
is there not ? I think I have heard yourself say 
so before now.” 

u Yis, massa, hall right.” 

“ Well, let us go by that branch. We shall 
be a good deal longer on the route, but we shall 
be always nearing the end of our journey, and 
at the same time shall pass through a good deal 
of new country, in which we may hope to see 
much game.” 

“ Good,” said Jack; “ you have wisdom with 
you for once, Ralph — it seems feasible. What 
say you, Mak ? I think it a capital plan.” 

u Yis, massa, it am a copitle plan, sure ’miff.” 

The plan being thus arranged and agreed to, 
we set about the execution of it at once, and ere 
long our two canoes were floating side by side 
down the smooth current of the river. 

The route which we had chosen led us, as I 
had before suspected, into the neighborhood of 
the gorilla country, and I was much gratified to 
learn from Mbango, who had travelled over an 
immense portion of south-western Africa, that it 
was not improbable we should meet with several 
of those monstrous apes before finally turning 
off toward the coast. I say that I was much 
gratified to learn this ; but I little imagined that 


A DISCOVERY. 


403 


I was at that time hastening toward a conflict 
that well-nigh proved fatal to me, and the bare 
remembrance of which still makes me shudder. 

It occurred several weeks after the events just 
related. We had gone ashore for the purpose 
of hunting, our supply of provisions chancing at 
that time to be rather low. Feeling a desire to 
wander through the woods in solitude for a short 
time, I separated from my companions. I soon 
came* to regret this deeply, for, about an hour 
afterwards, I came upon the tracks of a gorilla. 
Being armed only with my small-bore double 
rifle, and not being by any means confident of 
my shooting powers, I hesitated some time 
before making up my mind to follow the tracks. 

At first I thought of retracing my steps and 
acquainting my comrades with the discovery I 
had made; but the little probability there was 
of my finding them within several hours, deter- 
red me. Besides, I felt ashamed to confess that 
I had been afraid to prosecute the chase alone ; 
so, after pondering the matter a little, I decided 
on advancing. 

Before doing so, however, I carefully exam- 
ined the caps of my rifle and loosened my long 
hunting-knife in' its sheath. Then I cautiously 
followed up the track, making as little noise as 
possible, for 1 was well aware of the watchful- 
ness of the animal I was pursuing. 

The foot prints at first were not very distinct. 


404 


AN AWFUL SIGHT. 


but ere long I came on a muddy place where 
they were deeply imprinted, and my anxiety was 
somewhat increased by observing that they 
were uncommonly large — the largest I had ever 
seen — and that, therefore, they had undoubt- 
edly been made by one of those solitary and 
gigantic males, which are always found to be 
the most savage. 

I had scarcely made this discovery when I 
came unexpectedly on the gorilla itself. It was 
seated at the foot of a tree about fifty yards 
from the spot where I stood — the space be- 
tween us being comparatively clear of under- 
wood. In an instant he observed me and rose, 
at the same time giving utterance to one of 
those diabolical roars which I have before refer- 
red to as being so terrible. 

I halted and felt an irresistible inclination to 
fire at once ; but remembering the oft-repeated 
warnings of my companions, I restrained my- 
self. At that moment I almost wished, I freely 
confess, that the gorilla would run away. But 
the monster had no such intention. Again ut- 
tering his horrible roar, he began slowly to 
advance, at the same time beating his drum-like 
chest with his doubled fist. 

I now felt that my hour of trial had come. I 
must face the gorilla boldly and act with perfect 
coolness: — the alternative was death. As the 
hideous creature came on, I observed that he 


A HORRIBLE POSITION. 


405 


was considerably larger than the biggest we had 
yet seen ; but, strange to say, this fact made no 
deeper impression upon me. I suppose that my 
whole mental and nervous being was wound up 
to the utmost possible state of tension. I felt 
that I was steady and able to brave the onset. 
But I was not aware of the severity of the test 
to which I was destined to be subjected. In- 
stead of coming quickly on and deciding my 
fate at once, the savage animal advanced slowly, 
sometimes a step or two at a time, and then 
pausing for a moment ere it again advanced. 
Sometimes it even sat down on its haunches for 
a second or two, as if the weight of its over- 
grown body were too much for its hind legs ; 
but it did not cease all that time to beat its 
chest, and roar, and twist its features into the 
most indescribable contortions. I suppose it 
took nearly five minutes to advance to within 
twelve yards of me, but those five minutes 
seemed to me an hour. I cannot describe the 
mental agony I endured. 

When within ten yards of me I could restrain 
myself no longer. I raised my rifle, aimed at 
its chest, and fired. With a terrible roar it ad- 
vanced. Again I fired, but without effect, for 
the gorilla rushed upon me. In despair, I drew 
my hunting-knife and launched it full at the 
brute’s chest with all my might. I saw the glit- 
tering blade enter it as the enormous paw was 


406 


A FEARFUL ENCOUNTER. 


raised to beat me down. I threw up my rifle to 
ward off the fatal blow, and at the same mo- 
ment sprang to one side, in the hope of evading 
it, the stock of the rifle was shattered to pieces 
in an instant, and the blow, which would other- 
wise have fallen full on my head or chest was 
diverted slightly and took effect on my shoulder, 
the blade of which was smashed as I was 
hurled with stunning violence to the ground. 
For one moment I felt as if I were falling head- 
long down a precipice ; the next, I became un- 
conscious. 

On recovering, I found myself lying on my 
back at the bottom of what appeared to be a 
large pit. I must have lain there for a consider- 
able time, for I felt cold and stiff ; and when I 
attempted to move, my wounded shoulder caused 
me unutterable anguish. I knew, however, that 
I must certainly perish if I did not exert myself ; 
so with much difficulty I crept out of the pit. 
The first object that met my eyes, on rising to 
my feet, was the carcass of my late antagonist ; 
which, on examination, I found, though badly 
wounded by both bullets, had eventually been 
killed by the knife. It must have died almost 
immediately after giving me the blow that had 
hurled me into the pit. I had not observed this 
pit, owing to the screen of bushes that surrounded 
it, but I have now no doubt that it was the 
means of saving my life. 


A HAPPY ESCAPE. 


407 


My recollections of what followed this terrible 
adventure are exceedingly confused. I remember 
that I wandered about in a state of dreamy un- 
certainty, endeavoring to retrace my steps to our 
encampment. I have a faint recollection of 
meeting, to my surprise, with Jack and Peterkin, 
and of their tender expressions of sympathy; 
and I have a very vivid remembrance of the 
agony I endured when Jack set my broken 
shoulder-blade and bandaged my right arm tightly 
to my side. After that, all was a confused 
dream, in which all the adventures I had ever 
had with wild beasts were enacted over again, 
and many others besides, that had never taken 
place at all. 

Under the influence of fever, I lay in a state 
of delirium for many days in the bottom of the 
canoe ; and when my unclouded consciousness 
was at length restored to me, I found myself lying 
in a bed, under the hospitable roof of a mission- 
ary, the windows of whose house looked out 
upon the sea. 

And now, reader, the record of our adventures 
is complete. During the few weeks that I spent 
with the kind missionary of the Cross, I gained 
strength rapidly, and amused myself in penning 
the first chapters of this book. Makarooroo and 
Okandaga were married, and soon became useful 
members of the Christian community on that 
part of the African coast. Mbango and his 


408 


CONCLUSION. 


/ 6 

friends also joined the missionary for a time, but 
ultimately returned to the interior, whither, I 
have no doubt, they carried some of the good 
influences that they had received on the coast 
along with them. 

King Jambai proved faithful to his engage- 
ment. All our packages and boxes of specimens 
arrived safely at the coast ; and when unpacked 
for examination, and displayed in the large 
school-room of the station, the gorillas, and other 
rare and wonderful animals, besides curious 
plants, altogether formed a magnificent collec- 
tion, the like of which has not yet been seen in 
Great Britain — and probably never will be ! 

When I was sufficiently restored to stand the 
voyage, Jack and Peterkin and I embarked in a 
homeward-bound trading vessel, and taking 
leave of our kind friends of the coast, and of 
Makarooroo and Okandaga, who wept much at 
the prospect of separation from us, we set sail 
for Old England. 

“ Farewell,” said I, as we leaned over the ves- 
sel’s side and gazed sadly at the receding shore, — 
“ farewell to you, kind missionaries and faithful 
negro friends.” 

“ Ay,” added Peterkin, with a deep sigh, “ and 
fare-you-well, ye monstrous apes — gorillas, fare- 
you-well ! ” 


THE END. 








/ 





